⬣//A WHOLE NEW YOU.

[cccorp]

>>Premise // >>Introduction // >>Party // >>Zelkova Corner

⬣//CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WON! 🙂

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.

Welcome to The World's first event! Your plotting post is here.

⬣//YOUR ADVENTURE BEGINS SIMPLY.

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.

"Hi, everyone! It's time to begin! Meet me at the Chaos Gate!"

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.

"Welcome! I'm Zelkova. I'll be your point of contact during Fragment's closed beta! Before we start celebrating, let me give you guys your armor and equipment. You can't fight monsters without that stuff, huh?"

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 Boots

Twin Blade: Railroad Spikes Leather Cap Ugly Cuirass Deft Gloves Worn Boots

Wavemaster: Splintering Rod Tacky Hat Light Robe Light Gloves Old Shoes

Macabre Dancer: Paper Fans Tacky Hat Light Robe Light Gloves Old Shoes

Edge Punisher: Yaoi Oar Helmet Worn Armor Frayed Gloves Squeaky Boots

Flick Reaper: Farmer's Sickle Leather Cap Ugly Cuirass Deft Gloves Worn Boots

Harvest Cleric: Magical Girl Stick Tacky Hat Light Robe Light Gloves Old Shoes

Lord Partizan: Stop Sign Helmet Worn Armor Frayed Gloves Squeaky Boots

Shadow Warlock: Travel Pamphlet Tacky Hat Light Robe Light Gloves Old Shoes

Steam Gunner: Water Gun Leather Cap Ugly Cuirass Deft Gloves Worn Boots

Tribal Grappler: Fishticuffs Leather Cap Ugly Cuirass Deft Gloves Worn Boots

It'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.

"Well, that's all the boring stuff for now! This is an exciting opportunity for us all, so why don't we start the beta with a proper party?"

⬣//PARTY LIKE IT'S Y2K.

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'S QUESTION CORNER

⬣ 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!"

"That's all for this week's edition of Zelkova's Question Corner! If have questions you'd like to ask me, send me an email any time!"

>>Navigation

Comments

[weaseled]

Eh, not really. I bet it's a pain in the ass for other people though.

[Goats will eat anything, won't they..................]

But it's not like it matters here. You can't eat anyone out of house and home when the food just respawns. Do what you want.

[bleatingedge]

[Being a pain in the ass for other people is a smidge fun to be honest, so Leo takes that statement with pride.]

Hell yeah, I'll drink to that. [He holds the wine bottle up and finishes it off.] Speaking of which, I saw you eyeing the various spirits on display. Fancy any of them in particular?

[weaseled]

[At least he and the funny goat man speak the common language of booze. Yael hums, eyeing the variety of spirits on the table.]

Whiskey's my drink of choice. Not much of a wine fan. Too fruity.

[Bill Leo can have the wine all to himself.]

[bleatingedge]

[Hey now, what's wrong with a bit of fruit?]

Can't go wrong with a bit of whiskey. I'm a big fan of fireball - love me some burn, but I'd understand if that's a bit too lowbrow for you. Plus I don't know if they'd have specific real world brands in here. Might be a bit of a copyright nightmare. [Maybe some fake alternatives? Fireblast? Pyroball? Cinnaboom?]

[weaseled]

[beef pairs well with fruit! that said, yael is definitely not the fruit in the equation.]

Lowbrow? Hardly. I'm no class act myself.

[Yael imagines the two of them are going to get along just fine.]

They've got cinnamon whiskey here. That's probably the closest equivalent, but you'd think this company is big enough that they could spring for a few name brands.

[bleatingedge]

Eh, if there's anything I know about brand deals and collaborations, it's that they tend to be really stingy with how long they stay in effect. If C.C.Corp plans on having this game be active for anything longer than a couple of decades, then it could cause headaches.

[Leo reaches over to the bottle of cinnamon whiskey and curls a finger around two small shot glasses. With surprising deftness, he pops the bottle open and pours enough into both without spilling any, then holds one up for Yael to take.]

Care for a shot between strangers?

[weaseled]

[Who knew he'd find anything resembling pleasant company in this game? He and Leo speak the common language of booze, which is good enough for Yael... but as he takes up the shot glass, something occurs to him. Something that should've occurred to him sooner, but it didn't because he's a rude motherfucker.]

And who am I taking shots with? I'm gonna get weird looks if I call you goat guy.

[bleatingedge]

[Oh yeah. Names are a thing. When lost in the (virtual) sauce, it's hard to think of anything else.]

Goat guy is funny, but you can use either Leo or Faunus, whichever strikes your fancy. And what should I call you?

[weaseled]

[Leo it is! Faunus sounds like a pain to pronounce correctly.]

Yael. But as long as you don't call me by some weird nickname, we're golden.

[Or call him an old man like every other person here...............]

[bleatingedge]

Alright, Yael...

[Leo holds up his shot glass to clink against.]

To new adventures and experiences! [And friendships too, but let's not get too hasty. Friendship implies a lot with a single word.]

[weaseled]

Right, right. Cheers.

[Clink! Thanks for not throwing the friendship word at him too quickly, Leo. Yael isn't exactly a friendly guy, but he appreciates people who allow relationships to move at their own pace and don't demand friendship from the jump. They'll get there, probably. For what it's worth, Yael doesn't find Leo's company unpleasant even if he is rather odd.]

Add me if you want. I'm no use in dungeons, but I've got nothing better to do than play this stupid game.

[bleatingedge]

[Slurping down the shot almost immediately, Leo purses his lips and exhales quickly from the burn. That's some good fake shit.]

Will do. Playing this game is kinda my job right now anyway, so we'll probably end up seeing each other fairly often if that's the case. [He air-pokes Yael to bring up a contextual menu, then selects the 'send friend request' option. Or however the heck this is supposed to work.] There we go.

[weaseled]

Your job...?

[The acrid sting of judgment flairs on the tip of Yael's tongue... but then he thinks about what Leo is saying. Accepting his friend request, Yael figures he'll clarify before making any assumptions.]

You get paid to play this game? How's that work?

[bleatingedge]

I write game guides. So I'm here to both test the limits of the game and figure out an efficient way to play it. They also earmarked me to put out a first impressions preview in a couple of weeks. A bit of a workload, but nothing too difficult to handle.

[Plus it's playing a video game and getting money for it. What's not to love?]

[weaseled]

Huh. Interesting.

[Getting paid to play a video game and write up a guide... Yael could never, but he's clearly not the most tech-savvy guy around.]

What if you miss something when writing your guide? Some ultra cool secret? You'd be a laughing stock... maybe.

[Yeah, maybe. Yael really doesn't know how these things work.]

[bleatingedge]

The hope would be that I'm such a good gamer that I'd never miss a secret.

[Obviously a lie, combined with the wavering tone and the laugh-snort at the end of the sentence.]

But uh, for larger and more open-ended games like this, our guides are usually listed as "in progress" for a while until we're sure we've gotten almost everything. And we have a section on our site where you can submit things we've potentially missed - we'll add in your info with credit next to it if we can verify that the tip is true.

[weaseled]

[Is that uncertainty he hears? Heh. Cute. Teasing people may as well be its own sport.]

But you're on your own, right? That's a lot of game to explore for one guy. They better be paying you the big bucks.

[bleatingedge]

Enough for me to be comfortable.

[Having your own apartment in NYC isn't cheap.]

But I think being able to experience this game early is enough of a bonus. Not many people can say they've controlled their character in an MMO directly. Like, synced-up-with-your-brain directly.

[The free food and drink is another good reason, but his behavior at the table probably has that covered without words.]

[weaseled]

Mm, yeah. They called it state-of-the-art, didn't they? Never heard of a video game doing that before.

[Still, he's obligated to ask:]

You don't find that weird? It's creepy if you really think about it, a game hooking up directly to your brain.

[bleatingedge]

It's a bit weird, yeah. But it seems to be working smoothly at the moment. And I doubt they'd ship us something that could permanently damage us in real life. [Is this foreshadowing? You decide!] Besides, I'm down to take leaps into the future. [Especially when you don't have to leave the comfort of your own home to do so!] If this continues to work as it should, who knows what sort of nifty stuff they could do with this technology. Imagine potentially being able to communicate with coma patients or something. That'd be neat!

[weaseled]

It's cool and all, but I wonder how it'll be abused. There's always a bottom line, you know?

[If nothing else, Yael can imagine their data is highly valuable. By simply playing this game, they're giving the company a lot of valuable information about them.]

Not to be a downer, but power leads to exploitation most of the time. I can't see this game being any different.

[bleatingedge]

[Leo sighs. Yeah. You're not wrong, Yael. But somewhere in Leo's adipose-caked heart is a fragment of hope that he likes to pull out and gawk at every once in a while.]

There's gotta be some good to come out of this, right? Even if it's just the experience of the whole thing - meeting people from all over the world, forging friendships and enduring hardships together even if they're not real ones... I think that's good enough, no?

[He wasn't expecting to get so deep into things on day one, but here we are.]

[weaseled]

Is it?

[Yael asks, letting the silence hang between them for a good thirty seconds or so before answering his question himself.]

Nah, you're right. Of course friendships are important. I'm not much of an internet guy, but I've known people who met their partners and closest friends online. It's not that different from the real world as far as bringing people together.

[bleatingedge]

[Leo nods. Truth be told, pretty much any long lasting friendships he's had have been online, as few as they have been. But he's not about to admit something that sad to a person he's just met.]

I'm willing to give CCCorp the benefit of the doubt for now. Though if something shitty happens in the future, I'll be the first to let you know that you were right.

[weaseled]

I'm not worried about being right.

[He's more worried about what will happen to the people playing Fragment if he's right, but that much goes unsaid.]

But you've got a job to do, right? I'm not gonna bug you for doing your job. Have fun and all that, but you can feel free to tell me if something weird catches your attention.