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⬣//A WHOLE NEW YOU.
On a day like any other, you're checking your email when one in particular catches your eye. We invite you to Fragment, the subject line reads, and the sender is a name everyone is familiar with: CyberConnect Corporation.
It doesn't matter whether you signed up for Fragment's closed beta months ago or simply found the mysterious email sitting in your inbox. The fact remains that you are one of the select few chosen to participate, and in a word gone fully digital, you can't afford to turn down such an opportunity.
Those who accepted the invitation were given much more than a free pass to beta test the latest and greatest MMO. Upon confirming their participation, employees of C.C. Corp arrive at their homes and outfit them with top-of-the-line internet — a must to play such an advanced game — a brand new PC, and a state-of-the-art VR headset created by C.C. Corp themselves specifically for this beta test. You may call it excessive. They call it necessary.
When the morning of July 29th rolls around, you're finally able to access Fragment and create your character. By default, your avatar resembles your real world appearance, but naturally you're able to fully customize your look from head to toe. Want green skin? You got it. What about twintails that stretch down to the floor? You won't have to worry about those clipping through your armor in a game as advanced as Fragment. The sky is truly the limit!
Once you've settled on your avatar's appearance and class, you log into your home Root Rown: Mac Anu, a city forever at twilight with a series of canals snaking through it. It's done up in a series of flowing banners and balloons, glitter and confetti carried along by a gentle breeze you can feel along your cheeks.
Players are given some time to wander around the Root Town and acquaint themselves with the feeling of being fully immersed in a digital fantasy world, but after some time, a soft, playful voice echoes all across the Root Town.
When everyone gathers for the meeting, they're greeted by the cheerful face and pitchy voice of an enthusiastic young boy. Unlike you, a level 1 newbie without a single GP to your name, targeting the boy reveals a few things: his name is Zelkova and he's level 100. Huh. Is he cheating? Maybe he's someone important?
In either case, you'll have your answer when Zelkova begins to speak, sweeping his arms out wide to greet all the new beta testers.
With a wave of his arms, a table pops into existence before Zelkova. Sprawled out on the table is an immaculate collection of... shabby level one weapons and equipment. Yikes. What, did you think you'd be fabulous from the jump? That's not how MMOs work!
Zelkova encourages everyone to step up and grab the set (or sets, if you're an Adept Rogue) to outfit themselves.
YOUR NEW ARMOR AWAITS.
Blade Brandier:
Rusted Blade 
Leather Cap 
Ugly Cuirass 
Deft Gloves 
Worn BootsTwin Blade:
Railroad Spikes Leather Cap Ugly Cuirass Deft Gloves Worn BootsWavemaster:
Splintering Rod Tacky Hat Light Robe Light Gloves Old ShoesMacabre Dancer:
Paper Fans Tacky Hat Light Robe Light Gloves Old ShoesEdge Punisher:
Yaoi Oar Helmet Worn Armor Frayed Gloves Squeaky BootsFlick Reaper:
Farmer's Sickle Leather Cap Ugly Cuirass Deft Gloves Worn BootsHarvest Cleric:
Magical Girl Stick Tacky Hat Light Robe Light Gloves Old ShoesLord Partizan:
Stop Sign Helmet Worn Armor Frayed Gloves Squeaky BootsShadow Warlock:
Travel Pamphlet Tacky Hat Light Robe Light Gloves Old ShoesSteam Gunner:
Water Gun Leather Cap Ugly Cuirass Deft Gloves Worn BootsTribal Grappler:
Fishticuffs Leather Cap Ugly Cuirass Deft Gloves Worn BootsIt's... not very impressive, sure, but beginner sets in MMOs never are. Better get dungeon crawling if you want to step up your glamor game.
What better way to celebrate your acceptance into Fragment's prestigious beta program than a blowout party? Every inch of Mac Anu is decked out for the occasion, and once everyone has picked up their armor, Zelkova's armory disappears to reveal a vast banquet table piled high with food, drink, and party favors.
There's cuisine from every corner of the world just waiting to be devoured, and what's more, you'll taste the food like you're really eating it! Zero calories never tasted better. The drinks work much the same way, and there's even alcohol that will get you drunk in no time flat. Take it easy on the cocktails!
Still, maybe you're not feeling adequately dressed for the occasion. Never fear! There are a set of armor skins to pick from. Feeling a bit peckish? Dress up as a vegetable. If veggies aren't your style, how about this sleek little number? Those are just a few of the silly party costumes available for the occasion, and when it's time to depart, Zelkova will graciously allow you to keep your favorite skin to wear whenever you please.
Finally, don't forget to pick up some party favors! There's a foam weapon that, when equipped, takes the form of your class' weapon of choice... but what does it do, exactly? Well, hit another avatar with it and find out for yourself. There are also an array of paint ball guns, nerf guns, and water guns for use in Root Towns. Pick up one of each! Be the annoying friend no one wants to invite on a dungeon run.
Before you leave, Zelkova hands you a Greeting Card that can be emailed to anyone on your friend list. "Try sending it to one of the new friends you made today! I promise they'll love it! Oh... but be careful not to accidentally send it to someone too."
⬣ Zelkova, this level one armor sucks! I want better stuff!
"Don't worry, new player! Better equipment is a button press away! Well... after you earn it. Why don't you give Area Exploration a try?"
⬣ I'm a social butterfly ready to spread my wings and take flight on the winds of friendship! Can I start a guild?"Heehee... About that! This is a beta, you know? We're still getting stuff ready! Maybe if you wait patiently, you'll be able to form and join guilds in... a week from now. While you're waiting, make some friends! You'll need guild members!"
⬣ I hate walking! My feet hurt! I want something that will do all the hard work of moving around for me!"What? Your feet hurt...? Turn off the pain sensors in your feet! As for alternative travel methods... well, there are "those"... Oh, that's a great idea! Give me some time and I'll see about finding some Grunties for all of us!"
⬣ How can I communicate with other players? I want to stay in the loop!"Great question! That's what the official forums are for! You can ask for help, search for parties, share interesting discoveries you've made and just about anything else on your mind! Give it a try, but be careful: the head admin is kind of a grump... but you didn't hear that from me, hehe!"
bugge
It is funny that there's such a devastating bug at launch, though. It's not going to look good for CC Corp at all, for all they've done to promote this beta test.]
Are you sure you have no idea?
[Considering the suspicious perching and all.]
It seems an awfully convenient place to start people watching.
no subject
Little old me? Oh, I haven't the faintest. All I did was return from poking around an area and, why, everyone began catching some bizarre debuff. [ And he tilts his head to the side a tiny bit as he watches Owen now instead of what's unfolding around them. ] Is it convenient? I'll have you know it took quite a bit of jumping to scale up to here.
no subject
[Fandaniel is certainly just an innocent bystander, just like Owen.
He looks at the awning, judging how much of a pain it would be to jump onto it, and hums.]
It leaves you conveniently out of the way of this bug, certainly. Though it would be unfortunate if someone got infected with the debuff and tried to join you on your perch…
[He’s considering it. Shame pvp is disabled in the Root Towns so he can’t slow Fandaniel and keep him from running.]
no subject
[ As the trip up to the awning isn't particularly difficult but does require a few well-aimed hops up some awkwardly placed boxes to a fencepost. And yet Fandaniel makes no effort to move from his spot up there, instead choosing to smile down at Owen and watch him with great mischief sparkling in those dark eyes of his. If that's a threat... ]
And then we would have to sit here and die alongside one another. What a way to go.
no subject
There's worse ways to die - alone and afraid, for one. Dying with company might actually be rather pleasant.
[He'll do it. He'll run to those NPCs right now and just come right back.]
no subject
I suppose you have a point there. Do go on, then. I'll be right here!
[ And he will be. He has no plans on moving from this spot, now waiting and watching for the return of this other mischief-making player. Dying and respawning is hardly a problem, after all. They're already in Mac Anu and they'll simply return to Mac Anu when dead. ]
no subject
Alright, then.
[He waltzes off to the NPCs, and it doesn't take long until he gets the notice of a status ailment and returns to Fandaniel. Now all he needs to do is... jump up there, which thankfully isn't too hard. It's not a Guild Wars 2 level jumping puzzle, so he doesn't embarrass himself in front of the edgelord just yet..]
There, much better.
[Time to get cozy.]
no subject
You have a very unique idea of better.
[ One would think this the opposite of that and yet, as promised, Fandaniel remains sitting right where he has been this entire time, even when Owen joins him up on the shopfront's awning. It isn't a very large space, so it only takes a moment for the debuff to tick down and spread and in that moment, Fandaniel gets the same notice.
His lips thin briefly into a tighter line when the spark of pain shoots through him, dull and irritating, and his HP begins the slow tick to zero. ]
no subject
Do you not enjoy the sights and sensations?
[Ah, he sees that face. Owen feels the pain himself, but it's just a minor inconvenience to him. Dull, repetitive pain... It would be worse if the pain was more intense.
Though he probably still wouldn't mind. He's felt worse.]
Or do you prefer inflicting pain on people?
no subject
[ Yet his pain sensors must still be on, in spite of all that, if he feels the debuff ticking away even now. ]
I would not inflict this on anyone unless I knew how it would feel myself. It takes so much out of the delivery if you never know yourself! That dull burn of it slowly chipping away at your life. 'tis a wonder they included this at all.
no subject
Is that so? Does that mean that if it was utter agony, you wouldn't have spread it around town?
[Or would that have been even better? Not a question he's going to pose right now, but it is still in the back of his mind. Experiencing it several times already, Owen would think he'd be desensitized to it... Though, perhaps, that's just his own experiences talking. Maybe Fandaniel has a cushy life in the real world.]
The choice to let us still feel pain is an odd one, but I'm sure if it was left out entirely they would get lambasted for not being realistic enough. I doubt they were expecting this to happen, at least at a scale like this.
[He keeps an eye on the NPCs, who will just never die. Maybe that would be better then what happens to the players, or maybe it's worse? Endless agony or oblivion... It's hard to judge such a thing, when death is still more of a concept, even in a game like this.]
Good thing it's just a beta release.
no subject
[ And them being lowly low levels and all. After the initial reminder that, yes, this feels like a slow, irritating twinge ticking down to death, he settles into simply accepting it. There won't be any further grimacing at the pain. ]
Of all the things they would be lambasted for, I doubt letting players suffer would be one of them. People typically prefer avoiding pain, after all. [ He tilts his head towards Owen, his gaze flitting away from the afflicted NPCs to the man sitting next to him. ] Only you don't seem to mind it in the least.
no subject
[Pity. Well, perhaps in the higher level zones the effects are more intense... Or the minor level of pain is more due to the fact the debuff is bugged and not working correctly. It's hard to say, but it's just a sensation he feels in the background.]
I have an exceptionally high tolerance for pain, should you believe it.
[He's not about to say he's a masochist, or anything, because it's not Like That!! Totally not.]
So while I can feel something eating away at my HP, it's not nearly as bad as I was expecting. It's quite underwhelming, honestly.
no subject
[ In here, things are simpler. You fight, you get hit, you feel pain, maybe you die, the end. A quick check of Owen's character information ]
You should have picked a much more frontline character if you've got a high tolerance, though, I must say. You're less likely to get targeted by the worst attacks as a Dancer.
no subject
Surprises can be their own escape, don't you think?
[It would certainly add a layer of difficulty if sudden, abrupt deaths were a possibility. Maybe it could be fun!
Anyways.]
I picked this class because I like to dance - and I imagined there would be far too many people going for damage roles, that it would be a more novel experience. A win-win scenario.
no subject
Perhaps. I've yet to meet a surprise that I would consider an escape, but... [ That's one lived experience. He certainly isn't everyone. Thus, he shrugs. ] I do hope you come with a built-in party, in that case. Dancing is good and all but being relegated to buffs and debuffs won't make solo play easy.
[ And the HP continues to tick down. He checks, noting he's past halfway at this point. ]
no subject
Not many people in my social circle won the beta lottery - not that many of them have time for gaming, either. I barely do myself.
[But he's not, like, an international go-getter or anyone important, so he can get a couple hours.]
Though I don't mind playing with strangers, even if it comes with certain... risks.
[Like being PKed by your DPS.]
no subject
I tend to run solo myself, though not always by choice. As you can see, my idea of "fun" isn't exactly... within the terms of service.
[ The man is a troll and he won't hide it. Still, he props his chin on a fist and turns his head to look over Owen's way, that eternally amused smile of his aimed at his partner-in-death next to him. ]
Why not play with me, then? We won't even need to be strangers. Why, dying together like this, I would say that makes us friends even.
no subject
[Gazes into the future of the network..............]
You want to see everyone else panic or get flustered and angry, don't you?
[Though it's not said in a way that sounds like Owen disapproves of this attitude, because he is just the same way and he likes to see the worst sides of people. Horrible taste.]
But perhaps I'll take you up on this offer - it could be fun! [A beat.] Though if you try to take advantage of being in a PVP-enabled zone, I'll make sure you regret it.
no subject
Oh, but what's a few deaths between friends? [ Considering they're both about to die right now. ] I would expect you to give as good as you got should I kill you. T'would be disappointing otherwise!
no subject
Death between friends? Dying side-by-side seems a bit more intimate then mere friendship, but perhaps that's because I expect my friends to take me out in more violent ways.
[He needs better friends.]
I'll make sure to pay you back tenfold.
no subject
Really? You think so? Why, we could...
[ Ah, but that's timed perfectly with the last tick of their HP. See you at the respawn, Owen. ]
no subject
Well, time to enjoy his time in the Void as he waits for respawn! He’ll have to make sure to seek out Fandaniel again. Unfortunately.]