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⬣//JUST AS A SEED TAKES ROOT.
A team of four courageous adventurers managed to unearth a secret Area unique from the others: the Hulle Granz Cathedral. Unlike other Areas, this one is lacking all the usual monsters, dungeons, and treasure. What might the purpose of this Area be, then...?
Well, if you’re feeling penitent or perhaps wish to hold a sermon of your own, head to Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground and knock yourself out. What? Too soon?
Anyway, be not afraid! The cathedral is perfectly safe. Following Ganymede’s little incident in the cathedral, a timely email has been sent out to beta testers regarding health and safety that reads as follows:
To our beta team,
Please exercise caution when playing video games for extended periods of time. Take breaks every thirty minutes and do not sit in the same position for more than two hours at a time. Remember to stay hydrated and play in a well-lit environment.
Failing to take care of your health while gaming can result in a litany of health complications, including but not limited to eye strain, muscle fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and involuntary loss of consciousness and motor functions.
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.
Guilds have been patched into the current version of Fragment and are now available for players to create their own and join others. While some guilds have opted to go the private route, others are in need of players to fill their ranks!
The admins have kindly supplied those recruiting for their shiny new guilds with a number of goodies to aid in their player gathering efforts:⬣ A bundle of personalized flyers proudly displaying their guild logo and a description of the guild’s @ home and available amenities.
⬣ Party poppers and streamers. Nothing screams “join my guild!” like a face full of glitter, confetti, and colorful strips of ribbon.
⬣ A megaphone that lets your voice echo far and wide, even across Root Towns and Areas, but with great potential for abuse comes restrictions! The megaphone can only be used five times before it breaks. Use it wisely!
⬣ A unique recipe for a cocktail, latte, tea, or other type of beverage that can be blended up and served in little sample cups to court potential members. These drinks are unique to their guilds and, when consumed, have a special effect that reflects the leader of that guild. Is your guild leader a pretty cheerful guy? Drinking their special brew will make you feel happy too!
Whatever effect your guild’s drink has is up to the leader’s discretion, but if you so desire, drop a comment under the questions top level and we’ll brew one up for you.
Additionally, you may host a guild open house and invite potential guildies into your @ home to let them take a look around! Guild @ homes are typically locked to guild members & their guests only, so use this as your opportunity to put your best foot forward and impress the world with everything your guild has to offer.
Also arriving with the newest update are mountable Grunties! Aren’t they cute? ...Well, they’re someone’s definition of cute.
While the ability to ride around town and in Areas at 2x speed is certainly alluring, you can’t just walk up to the Grunty Ranch located in each Root Town and take one out for a stroll. If you want a mount of your very own, you’ve got to commit! Becoming a proud Grunty owner means you must first become a proud Grunty parent, and to do that, you’ll need to raise your Grunty from infancy into adulthood.
Just what kind of adult might your Grunty become? That depends on how you raise them and what you feed them. Those strange "foods" popping up all over Areas might not taste good to you, but they sure do to Grunties!
For more information on how to acquire a baby Grunty of your very own and raise it into a proper — or not so proper — member of Grunty society, head on over to the Grunty Ranch.
Mac Anu, the City of Twilight known for its gentle ocean breezes, has been uncharacteristically warm lately. Very, very warm. Its usual orange skies have been swapped out for vivid blues, the sun dwelling high in the sky and threatening to burn everything in its wake.
It won’t take much wandering to feel the effects of heat exhaustion sink in, and even after you log out for the day, those symptoms seem to linger. Do Hien and Zelkova know what the hell is going on? Of course not. Unusual occurrences are slowly becoming the norm in Fragment, it seems, but the point of a beta test is to work out any kinks. Report it and move on.
Lumina Cloth is similarly affected by unusual weather phenomena, but it’s much more pleasant and hospitable than poor Mac Anu. The sun hangs just above the horizon, bathing the strip in early evening light. It’s much cooler here too, and what’s more, it appears that a carnival has rolled into town. What fun!
All the usual carnival fare is here: greasy fried foods, drinks served in foot long glasses, and a litany of carnival games that are totally not rigged. Entry is free and so are the prizes, but some of them take a bit of legwork to win.
⬣ Successfully PK another player to win the carnival exclusive Thursday The 12th™ skin. PK’d players will receive an appropriately spooky ghost skin of their own!
⬣ Step on up to the dunk tank and get dunked on to win a sexy swimsuit skin! Both the dunkers and the dunkees will win this skin, but only those who successfully dunk the player in the tank will be rewarded with the chance to show off some skin. The appearance this skin takes is dependent on the player wearing it, so have fun and get creative with it!
⬣ Take a trip through the hall of mirrors with a friend and do some reflecting! Stare too long into the mirrors and you might recall a memory that doesn’t belong to you, but to the person venturing through the hall of mirrors with you. Did that really happen? Surely it’s all in your head. Memories available for memshare are limited to the ones listed on your application.
Additional rewards include giant plush monsters that can be used to decorate guild @ homes and private rooms (limit one per player!) and a pet goldfish that, unfortunately, will die a hero’s tragic death within a week. Womp womp.
We’ve had a busy week! It seems like there was a glitch that allowed players to equip other players as weapons, which resulted in a ten player chain, wielded by none other than our hardworking head administrator, Hien! I’ll have a talk with him about not doing this kind of thing in the future, I promise!
That wasn’t all, though. An unknown entity reached out to the players participating in the ten-player chain and issued them a special title: Good Friends Stick Together. Fragment’s not supposed to have titles. Well, at least not in the beta. But you can go ahead and add it to your name if you want to anyway, and it shouldn’t cause any problems! We still can’t pinpoint who sent those messages and how they overrode the permissions to create those titles in the first place, but... Hmm. I don’t want to start any rumors, so I’ll keep looking into it.
There are those armor sets too, which I didn’t know had been handed out to those of you that reached level 25. Oria brought it to our attention, thankfully! There’s not a whole lot we can do about it now, but we know that some of them are pretty invasive. But knowing is half the battle, right?
Our friend Ganymede suffered an accident recently that had him lying unconscious in the hospital for about a day. He seems to be feeling better now, thankfully. Ḩ̵̲̼͆̃͐̆ò̸̧̰͕̥̈́͒̕͜p̷̫͙̯͇̾̄͜ę̸̹̒f̷̠̭͉̱̅͘ǘ̴͎̙̥̭̈́̈́l̵͇̙͍̳̜̇̓̒l̷̬̲̀̆̈̅̂ͅỳ̵̧̻̖ ̷̠̫̭̰̦̋͗h̴̰͕̑͗e̸̦̼͇̾͘ ̴̡̢̝̺̳̊̎̎̔p̴̳̠̼̜͔̂̅̐à̵͕̹̟ͅỹ̴̡̛͝s̶͉̕ ̴̢͕̬̑̆̕͝b̸̹̲͗͒̊͑͠ē̶̛͖͠ṯ̸̻̺́͒͐t̶̻͕͎̑ĕ̶̖̀͗͛͋r̷͙̗̙̲͙̓̚͝ ̷̻̠͉̈́̚a̷̡̙̳̽́̀̋̔ẗ̴̢̨̛̬̺t̴͖̳͝ē̷͇̆͆̍̚ͅn̵̪̜͉͊̉̔̄͐t̵͕̼͈̓͋̈́̕î̷̬o̸͇̐͋͑͌n̶̟̫̟̽̑͒͐͘ ̷̜̈́̈̀̂̎t̶͙̂͛ô̸̠̜ ̶̫͎̎h̶͖̳͛i̸̗͖̖̅̂͆̄͛s̸͔̈́̇̍ ̸̩̗̻̕s̵̬̼̳̲̞͝ù̸̞̺̣͙̾͒͛ŗ̴̻̟̻̭̂̈́r̶̡͈̲̣̣͋̊͗̕o̶̥̝̮̓ų̴̻̯̬̊̑̑͌̉ͅn̶̢̙̦͔͖̈̒͝d̷̰̼̤̥̃̿͒̌̎i̸̯͑̾͊̑͝n̵̦͐g̸̪̾͝͝s̷̛̝͙̣̹̍͛͝ ̸͔̲̠̩͗̓̀͘a̷̛̼̓̈́͊ṅ̵̥͆̎ḑ̶̨̯̱͍̇ ̷̛̗̮̀̆ḧ̴̼̪́͗͝i̵͓̬̤͂͐͒s̶̮̎̿̃ ̴̛͔̋͗̽h̷̝͑ͅē̴̱ȃ̵̝͎ͅļ̷͍̀͐͊̊̽ẗ̸̼̺̟̥̼́̄͛h̶̥̹̬̮̽̅ ̷̟̖̮͛́̿t̸̢̤̤̂͒͋̍o̶̼̟̓ ̵̥̳͙̖̆̈́ả̶̛̳̱͙̖̩̿̽͘v̴͈͉͖͊͘ỏ̶̤͚̅͑͝i̴̱͈̩̳̳̿̇̕͠ḏ̵͙̮͗͆ ̶̯̭̝̹̯͊s̸͍̰͔̔̀͋͋̐u̷̟̠͑̔̏̚c̵̨͖͉͇̀͆͘ͅh̴̨̓͌̄̈ ̶̧̱̻̼̏̃̃i̷̱͉͈̿̎̋͒͜͝n̴̢͓͍̂͝͠c̷̢̢̛̹͚̑̓̅ͅi̶͕̟̻̘̫̾͌d̶͉͉̏̇e̵͉̱̩̯̤͐̎̉̾n̸̡̠̈͜ţ̴̇͑̈́͘s̵̩̼͔̙̙̉͘ ̵̮̯̞̮̾̈́͋̔̈h̵̡̗͉͉͈̉̐̅̚ȁ̵͖͚̖̾p̸̰̬͖̩̀̈́̆̓p̶̢̛̼̈́͆̒͘ͅe̷̟̘̩̲̻̾̊n̵̨̩̜̟͆͘i̵̙͉̺̮͠ͅṋ̷̆ġ̶͙͚ ̴̩̋à̷̄̑̂͝ͅǧ̵͖̜͍͕̒̑͒a̷̧̛̞͐̃̈́͘i̷̯͉̬̯̽̍n̷̘̝͓̽̅̕!̵̩͑
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[ Leave the damn censor on until you don't want to, how difficult is that? ]
Though you aren't wrong. The price point could be abominable enough that it won't be so much of a worry, only that would cause a stagnant player base in the long term.
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[But that’s when you forget to turn the censors off and you’ll end up getting your pixels out if anything spicy happens.]
Perhaps at that point they’ll make the toggle a premium feature only available in a few countries, so they can soft relaunch and get approval in more places with stricter restrictions. Though it’s also possible they weren’t anticipating just the level of degeneracy of the beta testers, with how isolated developers can be during crunch, and they’re already planning on how to backpedal on some of these features added for realism…
[Which means, obviously…]
So we should enjoy these features while they still exist, shouldn’t we?
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Or they split it off into a very expensive sex game. Not to say that people have not found ways to get off while playing online games before. Every MMO has guilds for that, specifically for that, but those lack the... hm, detail... of this game.
[ But that said, he can't help but raise an eyebrow at Owen. ]
Enjoy them while they still exist? Why, Owen, is that a proposition?
[ While Owen had offered up a warm body to lay beside in exchange for Fandaniel's soul, Fandaniel had taken that the same as his own offer: a joke. Humoring his bizarre game with the Lamia Assasin plush. But...? ]
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All the more reason to monetize the possibility.
[He places both hands on the bar counter, leaning forward and looking down at Fandaniel with lidded eyes.]
It is or it isn’t. It’s up to you and what you want, and if your dear wife will get jealous.
[No strings! No risks! Well, beyond the risks associated with dealing with Owen, but what harm would he do to his dear friend Fandanny?]
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[ He peers up at Owen, meeting his gaze as he looks back down at him. He's considering. There's no need to look Owen up and down. It's not as though he's oblivious to how attractive a good chunk of the beta testers all seem to be and Owen isn't any different in regards to that.
The real question that remains is: prank or not? A ploy to PK him while he isn't geared? Or a joke to get him all riled up and then log out?
He picks up what's left of his drink and finishes it off before answering. It isn't that he needs that burn of liquid courage in his throat but it doesn't hurt to have, either. Drink finished, he sets the empty glass back down and leans an elbow on the counter, listing forward similarly to bring the two of them closer. ]
I'm not opposed to giving their more illicit features a whirl.
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Shall we head to the guild hall, then?
[He looks at the bar and all the bottles left out, before deciding he’s just going to leave everything here. It’s not like he cares if anyone takes anything - it’s not like he paid for it or has his actual job riding on it, so he’s free to just abandon things.
Which is exactly what he’ll do, so he can crowd into Fandaniel’s space and tilt up his chin. He is… very close, but at least it seems it’s a genuine proposition! Probably.]
Or do you want to risk the alleys?
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mansnake the bar while the two of them are otherwise occupied.Whether or not what they are occupied with is Owen PKing Fandaniel in a very creative way is yet to be seen. He is, of course, still convinced that's what this will be, and yet! And yet, he's going to go along with it. Whatever ends up happning is bound to be fun in one way or another. ]
Oh? [ It'll be with that in mind that he simply allows Owen to crowd his personal space as much as he wants, easily letting his chin be tilted. He gives a laugh, a quiet one, amused, as he always seems to be. ] The alleys? Now there's a thought. Do you think the ban would be permanent if anyone caught us?
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Are you shy?
[It's not like Hien would be in any place to judge them with what he's done in the Telophoroi guild hall............]
There's no rules saying we can't, and I think our head administrator is the sort who might enjoy watching if he's the one who comes along.
[He lets go of Fandaniel, stepping out of his space and putting his hand on his hips. If Fandaniel backs out, he's not going to be offended, because he's just following his whims. What's the point of fooling around if you're going to take it all personally, and he's more curious about finding what makes someone as odd as Fandaniel tick.
This is a win-win either way, for Owen.]
It's up to you, Fandaniel.
lmao me like wait what has hien done in the guild hall :gasp:
There we go. [ Let anyone who wanders by be confused, so long as none of them decide to abscond with his precious snake wife. ] But no.
[ He steps away from the little setup Owen's and strolls right up to him, head inclined back to that he can look appraisingly up at him. ]
What I think is that our dear head administrator could watch no matter where we were, so the question remains: where exactly do you think would offer the most fun to be watched in?
[ Taking that previous chin tilt as permission to do at least a little bit of touching already, Fandaniel reaches out to press his fingers against Owen, just under where his gear covers his ribs, and then he slowly walks his fingers upwards as he lists out the possibilities. ]
Against a wall in a dark alley? Bent over the meeting table in our tower? Breaking in the bed in my private room? [ At that one, he pauses, gaze wandering and his head tilting to the side a bit as if considering that last one a moment. ] Admittedly, the room is dreadfully boring. There's nothing to decorate it just yet.
don't worry about it........
...The most entertaining?
[He doesn't move away from the touch, letting Fandaniel do whatever he wants as he considers the options.
What would be the worst place to get caught? It's not like Owen actually cares whether Hien (or anyone else) finds them, but there is something about pissing off the admin that's far too tempting, and...
He laughs when an idea hits him, even if it feels a bit... too petty. That's what makes it appealing, though!]
You're the leader, so you can go wherever you want in the guild, can't you? So, tell me - does the administrator have a room of his own?
[Even if it might also be incredibly bare, it would be the worst place to get caught, which means it's the best place.
I even DMed Haki to ask if he had one so it's definitely on the table!!!]
is that where they kissed i can't believe u made poor innocent cultist grunty watch that
[ Oh. Oh. Fandaniel nearly balks at the thought but that would feel like backing down at this point. If he's fine with a dark alley, why draw the line at a guild room that the administrator likely doesn't even use? Has it even been decorated? Does it even have anything in it?
Fandaniel's hand pauses on Owen's chest as he considers that little suggestion and then he gives a laugh. Now that he's thinking about it, how can he not? ]
I could certainly let us in there, although I wonder if he'll remain in the guild if he catches us at it.
no grunties were traumatized!!!
Hm, no, I imagine he would simply quit on the spot.
[Or, you know, immediately PK them.]
But there is always the possibility he's otherwise occupied, and will be none the wiser.
[He probably does do his job some of the time and isn't omniscient enough to know what every player is getting up to... So the odds Hien ever finds out without being told are very slim, Owen thinks.]
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Come along, then. [ He'll gesture for Owen to follow with the crook of a finger. ] Let us see just how our dear admin decorates, hm?
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(Is PKing still on the table? Who knows.)]
I feel it would be as bland as the way he dresses.
[Owen honestly wouldn't be surprised if Hien didn't even have a bed...]
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Is that considered bland? He seems to be inclined towards more edgy skins than bland, considering he's a Harvest Cleric cosplaying the grim reaper.
[ Fandaniel wants that scythe skin, he wants it so much, but that's neither here nor there. What is here is them strolling into the guild and Fandaniel nodding a little greeting to Cultist Grunty as it wiggles spookily in welcome at the two, but they aren't stopping there to chat.
He leads Owen onward towards the private rooms and stops at the door, selecting it for the list of those who have them already. There it is, Hien's, and that's what he selects. Now to see, just how does the Head Admin decorate? ]
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He wears all black. It’s horrendously uninspired, which means it’s basic and bland.
[Sorry to all goths. Wear more colors.
Owen does wave to Cultist Grunty as they pass, because he still finds it incredibly charming even if he hopes it never finds out about all the sin happening between the guild members. It needs to stay cute and innocent.
Hien’s room is… lacking. As in it lacks basically everything, but with no furniture and nothing changed from the room’s default options. There is, inexplicably, a dog plush set in the corner of the room, so it's clear the admin has at least entered the room before. Still, it's not what Owen was expecting.]
...
[Huh.]
See what I mean about him being bland?
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[ Proof that Hien did show up here, at least once, but that's it? Well. Owen isn't wrong, he supposes. No real sense of design or color for that poor man. ]
Wouldn't it be terrible if he used those to spy on the game?
[ Why else would it just be there, alone, in a corner, turned to face the room? Watching, always watching, with dead beady eyes. ]
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[Which is why he has a dog hairclip.
Owen picks up the plush, looking it over for a moment before he puts it down. He makes the executive decision to turn it around, though, so it's facing the corner of the room. Look away, dog... Look away.]
A bit ineffective to have just one, here, unless he's very paranoid about people entering his room.
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Somehow I am not surprised. I wonder if he prefers animals to people. I do know he was avidly following that pet thread on the forum since he knew about my snake.
[ Which isn't even a bawdy joke, he literally does have a snake. ]
Ah, but I also wouldn't put being paranoid beyond him. Prefers animals, expects the worst from people, that seems to check out, hm?
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It would explain a lot about him.
[But enough about Hien. Sure, they’re in his room, but Owen didn’t proposition Fandaniel just to gossip about the administrator.]
Now, do you just want to keep talking about him, or do you actually want to have some fun?
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Mm, fair enough. Let us see just how detailed they made all of our senses. [ And he'll take those few steps needed to cross the room, reaching out to snag one of Owen's arms and tug him around, away from the little plush toy, and back towards him. ] Come down here and kiss me, Owen.
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Owen lets himself get pulled back, but he wonders how much control Fandaniel is going to try to take in all of this. Does he think Owen is going to be obedient?
(Should he be? Maybe, as Fandaniel is charming in that edgy, clowny sort of way…)
He puts his hand under Fandaniel’s chin, leaning down and brushing their lips together. It’s honestly quite chase - but it’s a kiss, and that’s what Fandaniel asked for.]
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If Owen had meant to tease the man with such a chaste kiss, Fandaniel would try to push that further, opening his mouth against those lips and seeking to snag a lower lip with his teeth, nipping at it. ]
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...
Maybe it's best not to question these things. He doesn't need to think about his taste (or lack thereof). It's not that he even dislikes it, an approving sound getting caught in the back of his throat as he crowds closer, trying to deepen the kiss in turn with crowding Fandaniel back to the walls.
It's testing the waters, trying to see if Fandaniel will still try to keep charge, or if he'll back down. There's no push and pull, as far as Owen is concerned, but he wants to test his control.]
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It's a matter of trying to figure out exactly what Owen may want; does he take control or does he give up control? He'll decide as they carry on making out against the wall of the room. While his mouth is busy, he makes sure to find a way to keep his hands busy, as well, and they settle first on Owen's hips before wandering up, searching for ways under cloth and armor — although considering his class, the dancer, there likely isn't much to begin with — so he can skate his fingers and palms over bare skin, fully intending to feel Owen up, as much of him as he can. ]
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i forgot if we put a nsfw warning up but i just remembered we're in an event so here's another one
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