⬣//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

[notfunny]

[ both eyebrows raise in surprise, but that's it in terms of a reaction. if anything, he's pretty much confirmed what makes sense--- pieces of equipment people can't use are basically completely useless. ]

Pretty sure nothing's busted. Most of it looks pretty done anyway.

[ they're basically being given the worst of the worst. the least valuable and least effective, but it's better than nothing. ]

Maybe you could try something else?

[rebelles]

[ Haru scans the remaining gear on the table and picks up the water gun. ]

I believe this one's mine. I remember registering as a gunner.

[ And yes, it's weightless in her hands as she fires an experimental spray of water into the bushes. You're welcome, bushes. ]

Ah, this feels much better. Did you want to give it a try?

[notfunny]

[ huh. yeah, he might as well try himself. grabbing an extra squirt gun, picking it up, and aiming it towards the bush... he pulls the trigger. ]

Can't pull it. Is it locked?

[ he gives it a shake and can clearly hear some kind of liquid inside. ]

That's kinda cool. Don't know how exactly water's going to hurt things but I guess appearances are deceiving, huh.

[rebelles]

I was wondering about that. Plus, won't the gun run out of water?

[ She muses as she watches him try the weapon only to find it doesn't work. The developers locking certain functions reminds her that even if it all looks and feels real, it's really still just pixels and code. ]

This is a video game though, so maybe I shouldn't think about it too hard.

[notfunny]

Probably not. Video game logic isn't going to make a lot of sense most of the time.

[ and some of it does. fire weak to water? sure. getting sleep in an inn healing near-fatal wounds? sure. water guns that never run out of water? yeah. okay. ]

But it kind of sucks, if you think about it. It makes us dependent on others to cover up our weaknesses.

[ going solo into things might be a little rough for a flick reaper like him, especially when his glaring issue is a lack of ability to get on top of ranged enemies. ]

[rebelles]

Maybe it's their way of encouraging us to collaborate. Or maybe they have an unusual sense of humor.

[ She says with a hum of consideration. What with the joke weapons and the strange keyword system, perhaps the developers were interested in seeing what players would do and how they would react. ]

I wonder if they're out there observing our actions right now.

[notfunny]

It's probably both. There's a limited number of us in this test, so the last thing they want is for everyone to go solo.

[ the humor isn't wasted on him. if anything, he appreciates it? something cute and funny and perhaps familiar... things they won't be relying on for very long. ]

And definitely. It'd be weird if they weren't.

[ cyno hums as he gives his scythe a few test swings. light as a feather in his hands. ]

You aren't here to play by yourself, right?

[rebelles]

It said in the description my class is a support class, so I figured my role is to provide cover fire. I wasn't thinking of going solo.

[ Zelkova had also encouraged them to party up, so...She looks over the other player and his scythe. He seems to be a melee class? ]

Are you?

[notfunny]

No. Well, I could probably try...

[ and he might if he doesn't have others to go with, but what's the point? sure he could snag some easy gear. could get some easy XP. ]

... but it'd be more fun with friends, you know?

[rebelles]

I think so, too. It'd feel a bit lonely by myself.

[ She spends enough time at home to her lonesome as it is, and while she enjoyed her alone time, such as when she tended to her plants, it's also nice to have someone to talk to. Especially on an adventure. ]

We've just met, but would you like to go exploring together? If you don't already have someone else in mind, that is.

[notfunny]

Sure. I'd be happy to.

[ because he'll find any reason to jump into an unfamiliar place, especially with those random keywords. you could get anything from them! ]

Let me add you...

[ friend req sent. ]

[rebelles]

[ Oh, right, there's a friending function. She clicks accept and voila, she's made her first friend in the game and maybe even gotten a completion badge / tutorial milestone checked off for adding someone. ]

The dungeons seem to require keywords to access. What should we try? Ah - I'm Noir, by the way.

[ Sure, it's in her display name but she still feels like it's proper to introduce herself? She can't shake her manners even on the internet. ]

[notfunny]

Hm. I don't know.

[ he really doesn't have a clue. it seems like there are a ton of possibilities out there? so maybe if they just throw some random ones in... ]

I'm j4ck4l. Nice to meet you, Noir.

[ 'jackal'.

he offers a hand. ]

[rebelles]

Oh, like your avatar.

[ She's looking (respectfully) at that well-sculpted body, the headpiece, and the animal ears. ]

It's nice to meet you, Jackal.

[ Smiling, Haru shakes his hand. ]

[notfunny]

Yeah. Exactly.

[ glad she gets it. not that he would assume otherwise, but one would be surprised how easy it is to not recognize that numbers can be letters!!! ]

I've gotta go in a bit and stretch my legs, but you're welcome to send me a message at any time.

[rebelles]

[ Haru nods. Stretching is important! As the developers like to remind them. ]

Have a good rest of your day. Until next time, Jackal.