⬣//A SINGLE CRACK LETS THE LIGHT IN.

[cccorp]

>>UNTITLED ROOT TOWN // >>FUTURE // >>PROGRESS? // >>HE HUNGERS // >>Zelkova Corner

⬣//BRAVELY SAILING INTO THE UNKNOWN

As they say, fortune favors the brave. Five lucky players took part in a Limited Quest: The Mysterious Sky Islands, in which they discovered a brand new Root Town. While the team was largely successful in their efforts to make the mysterious floating town in the sky habitable, not everyone embraced the spirit of teamwork on this journey.

When you gate in to this shiny new Root Town, you'll notice something curious: it has no name. Its name simply displays as "???" in every context menu and there is no signage around the Root Town itself that points to its true name— rather, the name it had before they came along.

Whispers on the wind tell of an evil wizard in flowing white robes who ruthlessly boiled the village elder alive. With him died all of this mysterious Root Town's lore and history, and in its place are tales of the monster who robbed this land of its identity. The elemental sprites that populate this village refuse to speak their name, simply wishing you "good luck, have fun!" as you turn to leave.

While on your journey to check out the island, you'll notice how unstable the bridges are. Unstable might be putting it lightly, because for some unlucky souls, crossing the wrong bridge means plummeting to your death. It seems that whoever was put in charge of constructing these bridges didn't give a damn about structural integrity.

The local sprites are pleading with adventurers to assist them in building better, more stable bridges, but bridging the gap between one island and the next is not a job for a single person. If you have enough of a heart to heed the pleas of the sprites, you'll want to work with your fellow players to get the job done. All the wood, nails, and rope you need to construct better bridges has been helpfully supplied to you by the sprites. You could always sabotage the project too, of course, but what kind of person would you be if you did that?

⬣//BUILDING THE FUTURE

The professions system has been added to fragment. Rejoice, busybodies, for there is much furniture to be built and dubious potions brewed.

In celebration of the new crafting & gathering system, a crafts festival is being held in the Unnamed Root Town. Take care not to plummet to your death while traversing those rickety bridges.

Players are encouraged to set up a booth of their own and trade their unique handcrafted items with their fellow adventurers. In addition to being supplied with enough level 1 and level 2 crafting materials to give the crafting system a spin, the local NPCs are running a contest encouraging people to come up with their own for a chance to have their creations canonized as real crafting recipes.

To submit your own recipe ideas, you need only fill out this handy form:

Recipe name:

Recipe category: Alchemist, Carpenter, Chef, or Jeweler?

Which two items does your recipe call for? Choose two items to combine. Only gatherable items (refer to the professions page) can be used.

Effect: What does this item do, if anything?

Description: A brief description of your lovely new product.

<b>Recipe name:</b> <b>Recipe category:</b> <b>Which two items does your recipe call for?</b> <b>Effect:</b> <b>Description:</b>

Submit your recipe contest submissions here.

⬣//ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK

Fragment's beta test has seen its fair share of unusual bugs and unintended features, and with the latest update bringing many new changes, it's inevitable that some things have broken behind the scenes.

If two players happen to log in at the same time, they might find their avatars swapped with one another's. Thankfully, this issue doesn't lead to the unpleasant exchange of deep-seated memories or anything of the sort, but getting used to a body that isn't yours takes time. Thankfully, this particular bug resolves itself when both players log out.

The windy town of Unnamed Root Town is generally quite scenic and pleasant, but there's just one issue. It's far, far windier than it should be. If the rickety bridges don't kill you, the gusts that intermittently blow across the sky islands might knock you off your feet if you don't watch your footing carefully. Thankfully, the crafts festival on the southernmost end of the island hasn't been impacted by the severe winds. Among them is one voice that you don't recognize: a voice that promises a death, gruesome and bloody, in the days to come.

To everyone's relief, the carnival and its notorious hall of mirrors has packed up and left Lumina Cloth, but your past hasn't finished haunting you. The foul winds carry whispers of the past along with them, uttering words and phrases uncomfortably familiar to you. They're the voices of your past, the voices of people you've known, loved, and lost. Covering your ears won't keep the voices out of your ears. Nothing will.

Finally, on the more mundane some of things, professions have a few kinks of their own that need to be worked out. Occasionally, a crafted item won't come out quite right, instead resulting in one of the following "items":

Alchemist: Truth Serum. Become unable to lie for 24 hours.

Blacksmith: Whatever you're enhancing transforms into a denim disaster. Introducing your new "body" armor, "leg" armor, "head" armor, and "arm" armor.

Carpenter: Mirror Mirror. Reflects the person you're most afraid of becoming.

Chef: Durian Delight. A succulent durian pudding that reeks so strongly that its stench can be smelled all across the Root Town or Area you're occupying.

Jeweler: Crystal Ball. Breaks after one use but allows you to read another player's thoughts for five minutes.

⬣//WHAT ARE YOU, AN IDIOT SANDWICH?

With crafting in full swing, a certain admin has been lured out of his hidey hole by the smell of delicious chef-prepared meals. Hien is hungry, and you will feed him.

Chefs are not limited by the recipes they know like some professions are, so players are encouraged to think outside of the box and combine unique ingredients to cook up something truly special.

Taste, however, isn't the only important part of a perfect meal. Chefs looking to impress the big man himself are expected to present their culinary delights to him with pomp and finesse. You need to impress Hien if you want to gain more from this venture than the participation prize of a chef skin.

Those who successfully woo Hien with their delectable dishes will be given an additional prize: a little black pomchi pet to accompany their avatar around Root Towns and Special Areas. Hien will be giving these out at his discretion, so you better suck up to the dogboss in charge if you want a pomchi of your very own. If you catch Hien in a good mood, he may even agree to give you a different breed of dog if you ask nicely.

Feed the local Hien here.

⬣//ZELKOVA’S CORNER

Hello, everyone! Can you believe it's been an entire month since our beta test began? Even though we've already been through a lot together, we've still got three months left! I'm rooting for you all!

As of today, the level cap has increased from 25 to 50. That means new armor and weapons will be available to you! Get out there to different Areas and start leveling up! But don't forget to stop every once in a while and enjoy your surroundings, too. Which reminds me—don't forget to check out the new Recreational Areas! We have a beach and hotsprings for you to enjoy now. I hope everyone continues to have fun exploring!

We've also opened up the GP shop, where you can create your own special armor set for a certain price, along with a few other things. Please check it out!

Oh, and don't forget to use these three new greeting cards I've made! Here they are! Make sure you use them so you can connect with your fellow players! We're all friends here, after all.

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FEED THE LOCAL HIEN

[selfconcept]

[ Hien sits on a picnic table in Twilight Shoreline (Δ Haggard Traveler’s Reprieve) with a swimsuit of his own. He's not wearing all black for once! He's even wearing sunglasses.

But what might catch your eye is the little black pomchi that's currently nestled in his messy hair, yapping once at anyone who comes close with a tail wag. Isn't it cute?

But you're not here to ogle the puppy. You're here to feed Hien. He's spinning a fork in between his fingers with great dexterity, so casually, and looking extremely bored. Maybe you can change that look on his face with your food.

Remember to heed the warnings. He's very serious about this.

People are free to submit multiple dishes if they can handle "Hien's Wrath" multiple times until he accepts your dish! You have until Patch 4.0. ]

approaches ominously......

[sicklysweet]

[Well, well, well.]

Are you actually who we're supposed to turn this quest into?

[And not some fake, pretend Hien in a bad wind.

Owen isn't dressed for the beach, though, foregoing any bathing suit to stay covered up. Still, he's ostensibly here to turn in some food! So that's nice!]

Oh...? You're approaching me...?

[selfconcept]

Where's the food?

[ He's not going to beat around the bush here. The pomchi on Hien's head seems to happily greet Owen from where it stays with a yap and a doggy grin. ]

[sicklysweet]

Calm down, it’s in my inventory.

[The pomchi is so cute… He knows it’s just some data, but it’s adorable how it’s just perched there.]

Is the dog judging, too?

[Owen produces a plate of canelés, made with Goopy Honey and Snapping Sesame, and holds it out towards Hien with a raised eyebrow.]

approaches at super speed instead

[trollophoroi]

[ Looks like all the worst people in the beta test are showing up to feed the Hien first. Amazing. One might presume anything Fandaniel makes to be poisoned in some way but, in truth, he takes his cooking very seriously, and so when he does show up, it's in his butler skin from all the way back at the start of the beta.

Balanced on his hand, a covered plate to keep what he's made warm. Is it necessary? No, certainly not, but he considers this a part of the presentation. ]

For you, admin-sama.

[ He strikes a bow while keeping the covered plate elevated, then sets it down before him on the picnic table. Picking up the cover reveals a steaming hot and savory parmesan-herb dutch baby with garlic-butter and mushrooms.

He has, of course, replaced several ingredients with ones from the game itself. Instead of crimini mushrooms, he's sauteed up the Gloomy Mushrooms, and in place of the usual herbs, Herbs de Dungeon.

And, to top it off, fresh parmesan. He removes that and a little handheld shredder he picked up from the cooking vendors, grinding off a decent portion of it onto the food for Hien. It definitely gives off the "he's done this before" vibe but, hey, a kid has to work their way through their undergrad some way. ]

I do hope you enjoy it.

[selfconcept]

Stop calling me that.

[ Hien raises his fork and eats a small portion of it before he takes a look at how the food is presented. Also... butler outfit... hm...

Well, Fandaniel scores 10/10 regarding presentation at least.

Now, for the food. ]

It's really savory. Very flavorful—the garlic really helps bring out the flavors. This is vegetarian food, right?

[ He glances over at Fandaniel, wondering what he'll say. Got anything good to say about your food? He doesnt seem to mind the last point though, so he's safe regarding that. ]

[trollophoroi]

Hm? Oh, it is. I suppose that may seem strange outside of certain cultures but expecting meat in every savory dish is a bizarre concept to me.

[ No comment on not calling him admin-sama anymore. ]

I chose this, however, because I saw what ingredients were available from the Areas and knew I could incorporate a few into this outside of the listed recipes.

ATTEMPT #1 OF POTATO DUMPLINGS??

[insinning]

[It's shortly after this cooking attempt, with a bit of flour still in his hair (don't worry about it).

He's very determined with big, earnest eyes. POMCHI]

Um...Mister Hien...I made some Kartoffelklöße, if you would like to try some...!

[He'll set out his very best very dedicated effort:

it's cute, right? ...right?]

[selfconcept]

[ He's about to cut off Sinclair to tell him not to call him by "mister", but then he sees the potato dumplings and pauses with slightly wide eyes behind his sunglasses that quickly resume to its usual. The presentation is simple with not much flair, but it fits with what this food is for. They remind him of small, round honey rice cakes he used to eat when younger, before that sort of life abandoned him. It almost feels nostalgic, as his family used to make something similar to takoyaki alongside it for extra snacks and how his parents complained that the insides were very hot. Laughter followed. His eyes look a little distant behind those sunglasses.

But Hien snaps out of his little reverie and eats.

It's very simple--a potato dumpling with some sausage bits inside, melted butter, and topped with crushed croutons. It adds a very crunchy bite and Hien likes the texture. He's a simple man. This isn't a gourmet show, honestly, and he can appreciate the effort that must have gone into this, as evidenced by the specks of flour in Sinclair's hair.

He closes his eyes. ]

You pass.

[ He hands Sinclair a chef outfit and a tiny black pomchi pet. It's his now. ]

Thank you.

[insinning]

[AaaaaaAaaa.

Gently hugging that pomchi. And the chef's outfit gets equipped for now because why not. Bowing a little]

Thank you.

[And he'll leave Hien to enjoy his food. SUCCESS.

Orion the Pomchi is now his]

just approaches with no special effects :|

[regressive]

[ While there might be some bad blood and bad pings between him and Hien, Punisher joins the other participants. Rather than cooking something elaborate, Joonghyuk presents fried chicken seasoned with Powdered Demon Horn for extra spiciness. The golden outer skin is satisfyingly crispy while the meat it's tender and juicy. Fried chicken drumsticks, breasts and wings are arranged on a plate in a pile. ]

I hope you don't mind spicy food.

[ Does he really now... ]

:(

[selfconcept]

[ Perhaps Punisher got extremely lucky, but the way Hien doesn't even hesitate after Punisher says his thing and putting the food on the table, Hien immediately devours the chicken--all the pieces. He loves how the crispiness is just right and the meat isn't too dry. It's juicy!! For a moment, maybe his usual tired eyes might have sparkled with enthusiasm behind those round sunglasses. His favorite food? Fried chicken.

The spiciness is what adds the extra kick, so he's insanely satisfied. ]

You pass. It was delicious. Thank you.

[ He ate the whole thing!! Just bones are left. Hien hands him a chef outfit along with a little black pomchi. Enjoy, yjh. ]

[tablescraps]

( Mithrun is dressed as usual (mask up, etc). He's not among the first ones lining up to feed Hien, but he is here eventually. To test the pet mechanics? Test the new skin? Test cooking ??? Maybe so, to any of these. He studies the pomchi for a time before approaching with a platter. It appears to be full of cupcakes. )

Are you going to kill anyone trying to fulfill the quest again?

( u killed him over gay erotica before smh )

[selfconcept]

No.

[ It might be something arguably worse.

The cupcakes are cute! Cute little doggies. These sre very well done, he thinks. Hien gives Mithrun a pass on the presentation.

However, once he takes a bite, he makes an offended face. It's already bad enough that of all the foods that he eats, sweets are his least favorite (though he will still eat them), but it tastes like it's from... the grocery store? How? Even game recipes don't taste store bought. Hien narrows his eyes for a second before setting the cupcake down and eating the others. Are these the same—yup, they're the same.

... ]

Mithrun, how many sugar substitutes did you use for these?

[tylorific]

[ Maybe Tylor was expected to show up here at some point after their chat in the hot springs. Or maybe not. Either way, he's definitely on the straggler end of things when he does finally show up. Many a recipe has passed, many a pomchi's received, and Tylor is here beaming at Hien.

The food may get set in front of Hien before Tylor reaches his hand out, but he still casually aims to greet the pomchi first with gentle pets. His greeting for Hien is only a beat late, with a joke. ]

Hey there, Mr. Head Admin.

[ He knows who you are, and isn't surprised enough for it to be from checking his info just now. If he's gotten away with pomchi pets in the first place, he adds--- ] You know, it almost feels like I'm petting your head too.

[ With a little laugh, he retreats again and remembers why he is here. It's belated, but he gives a polite bow at least before moving to sit next to him. ]

Oh, but as thanks for answering all my questions before, I decided to make my favorite. Isn't it cute?

[ The curry is not the type found from a box or stock recipe, it is the result of trial and error --of tasting and adjusting and starting over before getting it just right. Somewhere between Japanese and American, the curry flavor is something all it's own. But it reminds Tylor of home. ]

[selfconcept]

[ So he has finally found out. The pomchi licks Tylor's hand in greeting. It remembers him! Nice man with all the petting. He won't comment on the head petting remark, but when he looks at the food Tylor brought, it's...

It's so cute. He screenshots this immediately. ]

Ugh... Do I have to eat it...?

[ It's too cute for him to eat?? ]

[ganymed]

[ What a time what a time, isn't it...

Ganymede makes his approach. He has put together a plate of Salmon with balanced Mediterranean spices, alongside a good assortment of vegetables. We're keeping terms simple and clean here, but the main dish looks like this. ]

...

[ He doesn't know what to say at first, and thinks it's fairly obvious why he's here with the food beyond probably not being the greatest at greetings. Also, this isn't exactly a dance contest, so he might be a little nervous when he just moves to hold what he has out to the other man. Also, one muffin to go along with it. It's all on one plate. ]

Here.

[selfconcept]

[ Ah, yes. Hello, Ganymede. What he sees in front of him is a simple plate of salmon with vegetables and spices that he finds a little unfamiliar. He isn't familiar with Mediterranean spices either such as saffron, oregano, cumin, etc, but it won't put him off. In fact, it only makes him more curious to try it out.

But also because salmon is his favorite kind of fish. ]

Are these meant to be eaten together, or is the salmon the main course and the muffin, a dessert?

[ This is an important distinction and will heavily affect on how Hien will be grading Ganymede. ]

[tinged]

[ hani is absolutely here to ogle at the puppy and shake its little paw in greeting. they don't mind that it's in hien's hair. it's so cute... aaaaa...

but they can feed hien too, if they must. a simple snack is set before him on the picnic table: the dish, lightly sweet with a savory sweet soy glaze, garnished with strips of seaweed. and, as an extra, a cup of tea. the cup is a deep green to bring out the colors of the meal because presentation in important!!

as for taste, uh, hani's cooking skills are honestly pretty mediocre, but this recipe is saved by its simplicity. it's all in the sauce. luckily, they can make a mean simple syrup so adding soy sauce is nbd. ]

Don't hold back!

[selfconcept]

[ The pomchi wags its tail a lot when Hani shakes its paw. Affection! Cute barking!!

Hien doesn't have to remind Hani about the food, because he gets to see this little shiba snack. Presentation is 10/10. Excellent. Hien picks one of them up and eats. The food was already sitting in the sauce, which is something Hien doesn't enjoy, but he tries to give it a chance.

...

He eats all four sticks and stays deep in thought for a while. Hani is free to take a seat on the opposite side of the picnic table. ]

You pass.

[ But then he only gives Hani a chef outfit skin. It looks like Hani will have to try to woo Hien a little more with food to get a dog... Good thing they can try again as much as they want until Patch 4.0! ]

:)

[gluttoning]

[He's smiling when he finally manages to track Hien down.]

There you are.

I've got something for you.

[Honey Sesame chicken wings has been arranged over rice, just enough sauce to coat the breading without soaking it too heavily. Honey from the Bee Commando, Snapping Sesame... and,if Hien moves to try it, there's a bit of a kick from Shocking Snapdragon, finely chopped in a light covering like chili flakes.

He has brought napkins. :)]

[selfconcept]

[ Sauce over chicken is definitely a different matter and when Hien looks at the food, all he can think... is fried chicken. And there's rice! He puts down his fork and gets out chopsticks instead to takes a bite and oh.

The Snapdragon.

He recalls telling him what his favorite food was, and it's definitely with a bias here that Misteaks-- ]

... pass.

[ Everything on that plate is gone. Where did the bones go? Don't worry about it. ]

You pass.

[ And so, Misteaks gets a chef outfit skin and a black pomchi dog. If he wants a different dog, he has to let it be known now. ]

[selfconcept]

[ I fucked up and didn't realize this was being threaded in the wrong place but: Mithrun submission. Passed /w dog ]

BEACH BBQ BABYYYY

[bleatingedge]

[At the Epicurian's beach party, Leo practically gallops over to Hien's table, large plate in hand.]

So I had a lot of potential things to give you for this, but I decided to go with my personal favorite. It's pork butt, rubbed in a spice mix including twelve ounces of dark beer. Then while the pork cooled down, I took the excess juices from it and mixed it into a sweet barbecue sauce. After both finished cooking, I pulled the pork butt apart and mixed the barbecue sauce in.

There are buns to place the pork on, and pickles to place on top of the pork. Pickles are optional of course - I know they're a contentious topping.

Hope you enjoy!

[selfconcept]

[ Hien looks at the food that's presented to him. Hearing Leo explain the process really makes the food seem even more appealing. So as instructed, he gets a bun, places some pork, and puts some pickles on top... then another bun.

Oh.

Oh goodness.

Hien eats the rest immediately and gets another porkful with pickles onto a bun and eats it again. Yes, he's chewing. Don't worry about it. Then he just tries the pork butt on its own. ]

... Can I eat all of this?

[ ... ]

Oh, right. You pass.

[ Yeah, can't forget about that! Hien hands Leo a chef outfit skin and a little black pomchi. If he wants a different breed of dog, he'll have to let Hien know right now. ]