You check the quest board one day to find something curious— Limited Quest: The Mysterious Sky Islands.
Limited quests like these are hard to come by and even harder to accept before other eagle-eyed explorers swoop in to claim one of the few slots available. Luckily for you, you can count yourself among that fortunate group today.
After accepting the quest, an NPC totters over to your side: a wisp of an old man who might very well topple under the pressures of a modest breeze. You hunch down to listen to his tale of misspent youth, dreams of taking flight long passed.
His days were spent perfecting the ultimate flying machine, a veritable tin can held together by scraps of metal and rusting bolts. His invention is finally complete, but at his advanced age, braving the skies is no easy task. That's why he's selected a small handful of intrepid adventurers to take to the skies in his stead and fly to an island that's always hung just out of his reach.
After listening to the old man's tale, you agree to board his rickety flying contraption and set sail to islands unknown... and if you're lucky, you'll manage to get there in one piece.
You're flying to the mysterious island with four others and each of you have been tasked with exploring a different part of the island. Unfortunately, your flying machine... explodes just above the island proper. The five of you are flung to different sections of the island and marooned there, but as it happens, what you find on your stretch of island correlates with the tasks handed to you by the npc. How very auspicious.
Take care as you go about your individual tasks: this island is incredibly windy. One misstep and you'll end up hurtling to the ground with your task incomplete and the old man relying on you sorely disappointed. Good luck, adventurers!
[Their voices are plenty clear to listening ears, but only one of those voices is on the segment of island Uta is stuck on. When she enters the abandoned building where that voice is emanating from, she'll find a fire sprite struggling beneath a pile of rubble. Seeing Uta, it lets out a cry and extends its tiny hand to her.]
[ hmm. okay, that's something to be noted. is the fire sprite the source of the pleading voice she hears on the wind initially?? either way, there's clearly only one thing to do here and that's to help the fire sprite out from under that rumble. which she'll quickly run over towards them—now as for taking its hand or not?? uhhh... depends on if it will burn her or not. ]
Hang in there!
[ now how hard will it be for her to move the rumble over from the fire sprite? would it be best if she smacked it around to get it off of them? how much are we looking at anyway? ]
[The fire sprite is indeed the source of one of the voices Uta heard earlier, but there may have been others.
Thankfully, the sprite is rather diminutive and the rubble encapsulating it is easily moved by hand. Given the creature's small size, there's just enough rubble to contain it without squishing the poor thing to death. There's nothing abnormal about the rubble itself. As for not handling the sprite directly? Smart thinking! It would most certainly scorch her if she did.]
[ hmmm. well, that's kind of concerning?? especially since uta hasn't cried out for any kind of help verses the voices that she has heard. if they are the actual voices of the people she was with.
that said, if the rubble isn't bad to move on its own then that's exactly what uta is going to do. well, with her lance instead of her bare hands since who knows what lies beneath?? also because there probably isn't a reason for her to not. she'll still be careful about it.
[Using her lance is a good idea! The rubble pinning the fire sprite is knocked out of place bit by bit, allowing the small creature to flit into the air and offer Uta its thanks in the form of a bow, one hand placed over its tiny heart.
"Thank you so much for freeing me! For a while there, I was certain I would perish!"]
[ UNLIKE A MURDER THAT HAPPENS ELSEWHERE uta is more than thrilled to see that she was able to help her stuck friend from perishing. she'll put her lance away so that it doesn't look so scary(?) when she speaks to them. we can ignore the other perhaps voice of the others later.
for now, we are concerned about the sprite friend here. ]
You're more than welcomed. I'm so glad that I was able to help you.
[ she'll give the little thing a look over to get a better look at them. ]
[The sprite shakes its head with so much gusto that its entire body shakes with it. "No, no! I'm fine thanks to you! But I'm afraid I've been separated from my friends. I do hope the others aren't trapped as I was..."]
[ oh you sweet, dear sprite. if you think that will stop uta then you are mistaken. ]
If your friends are trapped elsewhere, then that means there's still more that I can do for you. [ ] Besides, the people I came with are also missing.
[ given the fact that she has never tried to use the bonus effect of her special armor until this point, hopefully it will work out okay? it's worth a shot at the very least right??
cue her taking out her lance again and instead of stabbing anything with it, she's just going to speak into it. loudly but not to the point of shouting— projecting as you will—to test just how far the range of this will be. ]
Hello! Can anyone hear me? Anyone at all?
[ how will they be able to signal that they can hear her? idk. that's their problem. ]
[ the joke here is that it's what sabo would do...except this is uta. which means now i guess we just have to remember this meme that i made a while ago and didn't think too much about it. either way, the results end up differently than she was aiming but still good overall. however, the responses do cause her to frown. not sure she likes the implications being made... ]
Bad boy? I'm no bad boy. I'm not even a boy to begin with. [ hmm...
she'll crouch down and hold out her mic/lance to the fire sprite she saved for them to speak into. ] Do you want to talk to your friends? I'm sure they'll feel comforted and willing to work with me if they hear you talk to them.
[You can be whatever your heart desires you to be, Uta, including a bad boy.
In any case, the fire sprite is surprised by the odd appearance of her lance, hesitating for a moment.
"What a strange object... I sense cursed energy on it. Nevertheless, if it will allow me to speak to my friends, then I will trust that no harm shall befall me for using it."
The fire sprite overcomes its reservations and speaks into the microphone, convincing its brethren to come out from their hiding places and convene on the northernmost island. When they arive, their eyes go wide, staring at Uta's weapon.]
[ do not encourage this...... but also hello?? she isn't too sure or likes the fact that the fire sprites seem to be fearful of her weapon especially now that they've called it cursed? you know, cursed weapons in some games are fine but this game? uncertain if that is fine.
however it's good to see all of the little fire sprites come free and she'll want to see if they are all the same or if there are little differences between them all. ]
Is there something wrong with my weapon? [ she'll debate about putting it away or keeping it out. it'll depend on what they tell her next. ] You said it was cursed.
[The sprites are indeed different with only one of them being a fire sprite while the others bear the elements of wood, water, thunder, and darkness respectively.
As for her weapon... well, they don't seem to take any umbrage with Uta herself, but the group of sprites clusters up to debate what ought to be done about it. Eventually, they invite Uta into their huddle.
"Miss... Do you recall where such a weapon came from? We've dwelled in these lands for many a millennia and have never seen such an unusual artefact. That weapon, your armor... they are not of this world."]
[ oh. cute. does this make her something like captain planet or such? she'll definitely want to take a screencap (irl) if possible or otherwise she's just going to remember each and every one of these little guys.
that said, there are a few things that they say that make her frown. first is the mention of how long they've been here in the world and another is how they point out how it isn't supposed to be here. ]
It was delivered to me by some unknown source. [ a red flag, obviously. ] I know there have been other players who have experienced the same thing but...
[ uta isn't entirely ready to assume that they're a bit like zelkova and this isn't part of the native lore of the islands or even the games. not just yet, at least. she wants to sort of test them first. ]
When you mean "not of this world", are you referring to all of Fragment?
[Uta will be able to take as many screenshots as she likes without issue, luckily.
As for the sprites, concern spreads across their little faces, brows furrowing and frowns deepening.
"We know no world beyond the borders of Fragment. Even so, us sprites of the land and sky know what artefacts were borne of our world and which were not. That "lance" is most certainly not one of ours."]
[ thank you for this blessing because damn. is she ever going to spin her camera and taking screencaps of everything so that she has frame of references. ]
I see.
[ the way that the sprites are talking to her make her really concerned about the whole experience. they aren't exactly talking in the way that some normal programed npc would. not to be this aware, at least. ]
Would you have any kind of idea of where it would have originated? [ and just because multiple reasons mainly that to see how they would respond to the name: ] Are you aware of the Fragment much like Zelkova is?
[The sprites discuss her question amongst themselves, but ultimately, all they can do is speculate.
"There are only two in this world to possess the power to create such artifacts: His child and t̵͖͇̫̔́̎̏͗̈̔̂͐̎̚͝͝ͅͅͅh̶̛̯̼̩̟̬̠̝͉̝̠̤̱̻͆̄̃̌́͛́̔e̴̻̱̗̖͙̞̠̬̰̮͈̞͕̔ͅ ̶̢̪̜͎̲̦͚̥͇̍͊̈́͘̚Š̴͇̼̪̒̍͒̿̉͗̌̕h̶̨̢̠͖͇̣̜̳͍̥̻̩͎̠͊̂͌̈́̍̍̀̀͑͆̿̆͘ͅǎ̷̼͓̦̻̻͙͚̗͎͍d̵͕͖̪̮͎͗̉̔́͑̈̎̑̃͂̓͐͝͝ǫ̶̥͎̠͔̪̦͗̃̽̂͒̽̊̅̔̒̄͂̕͝ͅw̵̢̨̹͕̘̭̟͖̟̗͕͕͚͖̥͚͂̎̇̽́̉̀͜e̷̜̪̼̅̂͂͐̈́̇͗̍͗̚d̵̢̛͉̮̯̼̙̒̿́̈͌̏̂̊̑̒̚̕͜͠ ̴̩̰̘̝̣̓͘Ò̷͚̼̟̺͍̟̹̯͔͕͇̤̗̠̬̊͌̓̓̕͜ņ̴̢̧̡̹̹̦̠͈̮̪́̊̍̓̑̈́́̅̎̾̂̈̓̓͌͜͝͝e̶̮̥̻̭̳̜͌͜.̸̛̖͔̖̲͚͇̍̈́̈͌̾̄̅̇̑̅̄́̉̂̉̀"
The audio bugs out, making it all the more difficult to understand the sprites' strange words.
"Continuing to carry that thing will only invite harm upon you. Please... heed our warning, Unna."
Suddenly, Uta's vision warps. Pops of light obscure her vision. Her head might even ache. When she's regained control of her senses, the sprites are gone and she's sitting before the Chaos Gate that Kara completed not that long ago. There is nothing left for her to explore, but she has plenty to think about, no doubt.]
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Hang in there!
[ now how hard will it be for her to move the rumble over from the fire sprite? would it be best if she smacked it around to get it off of them? how much are we looking at anyway? ]
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that said, if the rubble isn't bad to move on its own then that's exactly what uta is going to do. well, with her lance instead of her bare hands since who knows what lies beneath?? also because there probably isn't a reason for her to not. she'll still be careful about it.
be free smol fire sprite. ]
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for now, we are concerned about the sprite friend here. ]
You're more than welcomed. I'm so glad that I was able to help you.
[ she'll give the little thing a look over to get a better look at them. ]
You're not hurt or need anything, do you?
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If your friends are trapped elsewhere, then that means there's still more that I can do for you. [ ] Besides, the people I came with are also missing.
[ given the fact that she has never tried to use the bonus effect of her special armor until this point, hopefully it will work out okay? it's worth a shot at the very least right??
cue her taking out her lance again and instead of stabbing anything with it, she's just going to speak into it. loudly but not to the point of shouting— projecting as you will—to test just how far the range of this will be. ]
Hello! Can anyone hear me? Anyone at all?
[ how will they be able to signal that they can hear her? idk. that's their problem. ]
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The fire sprite gazes at Uta in awe as she calls out to the missing sprites, one timid voice after the next piping up to answer her.
"I'm here, but how do I know I can trust you?"
"You're not going to eat us, are you...?"
"What if you're as bad as the boy who trapped us?"]
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Bad boy? I'm no bad boy. I'm not even a boy to begin with. [ hmm...
she'll crouch down and hold out her mic/lance to the fire sprite she saved for them to speak into. ] Do you want to talk to your friends? I'm sure they'll feel comforted and willing to work with me if they hear you talk to them.
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In any case, the fire sprite is surprised by the odd appearance of her lance, hesitating for a moment.
"What a strange object... I sense cursed energy on it. Nevertheless, if it will allow me to speak to my friends, then I will trust that no harm shall befall me for using it."
The fire sprite overcomes its reservations and speaks into the microphone, convincing its brethren to come out from their hiding places and convene on the northernmost island. When they arive, their eyes go wide, staring at Uta's weapon.]
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however it's good to see all of the little fire sprites come free and she'll want to see if they are all the same or if there are little differences between them all. ]
Is there something wrong with my weapon? [ she'll debate about putting it away or keeping it out. it'll depend on what they tell her next. ] You said it was cursed.
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As for her weapon... well, they don't seem to take any umbrage with Uta herself, but the group of sprites clusters up to debate what ought to be done about it. Eventually, they invite Uta into their huddle.
"Miss... Do you recall where such a weapon came from? We've dwelled in these lands for many a millennia and have never seen such an unusual artefact. That weapon, your armor... they are not of this world."]
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that said, there are a few things that they say that make her frown. first is the mention of how long they've been here in the world and another is how they point out how it isn't supposed to be here. ]
It was delivered to me by some unknown source. [ a red flag, obviously. ] I know there have been other players who have experienced the same thing but...
[ uta isn't entirely ready to assume that they're a bit like zelkova and this isn't part of the native lore of the islands or even the games. not just yet, at least. she wants to sort of test them first. ]
When you mean "not of this world", are you referring to all of Fragment?
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As for the sprites, concern spreads across their little faces, brows furrowing and frowns deepening.
"We know no world beyond the borders of Fragment. Even so, us sprites of the land and sky know what artefacts were borne of our world and which were not. That "lance" is most certainly not one of ours."]
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I see.
[ the way that the sprites are talking to her make her really concerned about the whole experience. they aren't exactly talking in the way that some normal programed npc would. not to be this aware, at least. ]
Would you have any kind of idea of where it would have originated? [ and just because multiple reasons mainly that to see how they would respond to the name: ] Are you aware of the Fragment much like Zelkova is?
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"There are only two in this world to possess the power to create such artifacts: His child and t̵͖͇̫̔́̎̏͗̈̔̂͐̎̚͝͝ͅͅͅh̶̛̯̼̩̟̬̠̝͉̝̠̤̱̻͆̄̃̌́͛́̔e̴̻̱̗̖͙̞̠̬̰̮͈̞͕̔ͅ ̶̢̪̜͎̲̦͚̥͇̍͊̈́͘̚Š̴͇̼̪̒̍͒̿̉͗̌̕h̶̨̢̠͖͇̣̜̳͍̥̻̩͎̠͊̂͌̈́̍̍̀̀͑͆̿̆͘ͅǎ̷̼͓̦̻̻͙͚̗͎͍d̵͕͖̪̮͎͗̉̔́͑̈̎̑̃͂̓͐͝͝ǫ̶̥͎̠͔̪̦͗̃̽̂͒̽̊̅̔̒̄͂̕͝ͅw̵̢̨̹͕̘̭̟͖̟̗͕͕͚͖̥͚͂̎̇̽́̉̀͜e̷̜̪̼̅̂͂͐̈́̇͗̍͗̚d̵̢̛͉̮̯̼̙̒̿́̈͌̏̂̊̑̒̚̕͜͠ ̴̩̰̘̝̣̓͘Ò̷͚̼̟̺͍̟̹̯͔͕͇̤̗̠̬̊͌̓̓̕͜ņ̴̢̧̡̹̹̦̠͈̮̪́̊̍̓̑̈́́̅̎̾̂̈̓̓͌͜͝͝e̶̮̥̻̭̳̜͌͜.̸̛̖͔̖̲͚͇̍̈́̈͌̾̄̅̇̑̅̄́̉̂̉̀"
The audio bugs out, making it all the more difficult to understand the sprites' strange words.
"Continuing to carry that thing will only invite harm upon you. Please... heed our warning, Unna."
Suddenly, Uta's vision warps. Pops of light obscure her vision. Her head might even ache. When she's regained control of her senses, the sprites are gone and she's sitting before the Chaos Gate that Kara completed not that long ago. There is nothing left for her to explore, but she has plenty to think about, no doubt.]
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....something that's just gonna leave her to vibe quietly for time to come. thanks for this i guess. ]