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⬣//A SINGLE CRACK LETS THE LIGHT IN.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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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..."my Sinclair". [ His lips curl a little] That's what she called me on that night. After my sister-- [ He can't repeat that part. He doesn't want to see it again. His breaths are short, rapid]
She told me she'll come for me again. Morgan, he--[No, he didn't need Mithrun to tell him what he knew deep down.
Shuddering, he lifts his head up and glares]
Oria...what am I suppose to do? The only way she'll stop is if she's dead. If I--
[ Break her skull so badly that ---
Rip her from limb to limb
Skewer every person that was part of that gang]
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So he puts a finger over Sinclair's mouth like a "shh" motion. ]
Let's let all that out in the arena. C'mon. No HP threshold. You win or you die.
[ Lv50 vs Lv50. Let's go.
Also, you can bet Oria will basically be shouting questions at Sinclair. They can argue while they fight. :) A good time. ]
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...alright. Let's go.
[He can die. A couple of times. It will hurt, but that's fine. It's better than losing himself in exhaustion]
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Don't forget to turn your pain sensor off! Ready whenever you are.
[ For maximum venting. He gets his gun out and is absolutely ready for this. ]
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[Did Oria call him out? No, he wouldn't know, since Sinclair had been the one to be troubled over the thought of using pain sensors to begin with. He takes a minute, turning it off--and then brandishes his spear]
Let's go.
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[ Oria first loads his brand new skill, Rue Wipe, which would attack multiple targets with bullets infused with water, but since Sinclair is the only target, he'll just have to take hits multiple times (12, 20, 2, 10). The types will finally be playing out against physical classes, huh. ]
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[The first shot meets his spear (12), and the second hits hard (7). He manages to dodge the second (2), but gets pushed back by the last. Ow. That only get shim to move faster. His HP bar goes down, but he goes charging in with a Rai Bash, electricity crackling down (8, 1) as he strikes twice.]
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If you want, I can try having her detained.
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Detained? There's no way--
[It would be so simple, wouldn't it? But, if that means putting Oria in harms way]
She's with Sarabi--
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The Severines have been against the Sarabi for years!
[ Yet his father worked with Morgan regarding teletransportation at some point. ]
You know that there is no justice in higher courts—it's whoever in power that comes out with the most money in the end!
[ Then at point blank, since his other hand is free, he uses Triple Doom (8, 16, 20). He hopes that the bullets, like his words, will pierce through the defenses. ]
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I know that. I know that
[That hospital never existed to begin with. He dodges the first shot (9), staggers from the last two (6,10) as the bullets pierce through his defenses. But his HP is still heigh and he only goes lunging in again with another direct strike from his spear (8) and swings into a Piercing Heaven (15). If Oria can't dodge that, he's going to get tossed into the sky]
That's why she needs to die---if all your family's money can't even make them budge--!
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[ He pushes the lance off trajectory with top part of the gun (8), which was way too close for comfort with loud clashing noise between them. He's unfamiliar with the new Lord Partizan skills, so he tries to block again with his gun, but it only halfway works (15). He doesn't receive any damage, but he gets sent flying regardless.
This is bad.
He could have chosen to get into a defensive stance to mitigate the future attack, but fuck that, honestly. ]
I won't give up before I even try!!
[ He loads up Thorn Shot, but it takes so long while he is in the air that he only ends up shooting right when he's within Sinclair's range. It won't crit (6), but it might hit when it's so point blank range at his face (16). ]
no subject
Isn't that what he wanted to hear before? That someone would help him. That someone would help him put her away--that they wouldn't give up, that they would try.
There's no dodging that (1), and Sinclair staggers back from that point blank shot, his HP going down quite a bit. But he moves, into a Thorn Dance(5) this time, meeting Oria head on since he was so close]
She's already out. She's already free--[His hands tremble on his lance, as he swings back in (17)]
Why are you still trying to convince me?! This isn't a fairy tale--
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[ He doesn't have enough time to dodge that, so he gets to suffer the full extent of Thorn Dance and the following combo (0, 10). Even though his pain sensors are off, that brutal attack feels like it impairs his ability to move as freely as he wants. Maybe it's good that he has shitty defense anyway—no it doesn't. That really smarts despite the lack of pain, but he stays standing. ]
"Not a fairy tale"... ha.
[ He can't help but laugh as he queues up his next skill. ]
I know that! I know more than anyone!! If this was a fairy tale, everything would go my way! If this was a fairy tale...!!!
[ He bites his bottom lip with all the things that he's failed to prevent and mitigate suddenly popping up in his head—all his failures that impacted lives. Of course he would only want to mention his successes, because the times that he did fail? It's painful. It fuels his selfish justice. ]
Then I wouldn't be here, trying to convince you not to throw away your life and livelihood for the sake of someone who shouldn't be worth a single second of your time!
[ Tempest Blast activates. Ever seen touhou bullets? Just imagine the vibes are that except half the number. Still pretty overwhelming, even if it actually isn't that many. There's a whirlwind of bullets coming right for Sinclair (19, 3, 16, 16, 20, 14; I will not roll more than six times for this but know it's a Lot). ]
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It doesn't hurt. But it does feel like his hands wont stop shaking, his interface swimming in and out. Was this what it was like to be this low on health? The last two times he had been Pk'd, it had been instant and the second had been accepted.
This time... Sinclair pushes himself up, swaying a little]
...you keep saying that. But that's easier said than done. This isn't something I can just forget--
[Triple Wield(16, 12, 8) - the first few strikes are strong, even if Oria can dodge them. But the last is sluggish, like Sinclair is struggling to hit Oria and mean it]
My sister, my parents--even my dog--all of them are gone. I watched her kick my sister down the stairs, ran through my parents blood and you just want me to let it go and forget?!
[ His voice cracks, chest heaving. He can't, he can't]
...Could you say that if it was your family? I don't even know what my life is worth anymore if I keep running.
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That's why Oria gets hit with all three strikes (9, 9, 1), but keeps standing his ground. He's only been hit a few times this entire round, but his own HP is dangerously low. Lord Partizans sure are strong, huh? It took so many hits to get Sinclair low as he is right now. One more hit and it's over. ]
You're right, Emil.
[ He walks up to him and presses the end of the gun to Sinclair's chest, but doesn't shoot just yet. ]
I also love my family. If they were killed mercilessly like yours, I would also want revenge. I'd never be able to forget it. I'd want the murderers to die in the most excruciating ways possible and even then, the amount of pain wouldn't even come close to what I would have suffered in my heart. The assassination attempts haven't worked so far, but it's a real possibility that we might go down in some way in the future.
But that last part? That's where you're wrong. My family didn't raise me to abandon my long term goals to get a short high off of vengeance.
[ Oria is tired. He hasn't wrenched open his heart open like this in so long, but it feels natural just to spill everything on the floor. ]
And neither did yours.
[ Even from hearing stories from Sinclair, Oria could tell—his family was a very loving one. They tried to shield him from various aspects of what their business entailed, and his sister shared her passion with him. ]
Your life mattered to them.
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But it hurts. It's not just Kromer's taunts driving him to this edge.
It's his family. His father's genuine pride in his son. His mothers kindness, his sister's support. He hadn't realised he was already beginning to forget what their voices sounded like, until the wind had carried it to him.
It's waking up every day, not knowing what to do, what to reach for.
If you join our company, I promise, we will...
He's been running for so long, away from those memories, away from that suffocating guilt.
But it should have been me.
Revenge being possible is the first thing that had helped give him some sort of center. Without that, without that drive...
The words are tight in his throat and he swallows, shaking his head, tears spilling hot and salty over his cheeks. When the gun gets pressed to his chest, he lifts his lance, the tip pressed against Oria's chest in turn.
Your life mattered to them. It did. He knows. That's why he's always been like this. Shaky. Wish-washy. Unable to choose. Morgan had given him a clear path, hope at the end, even if most of him knew, he wouldn't be able to come back from this. The world wouldn't let him.]
I know. I loved them so much, and they always...
[Kept him safe in whatever way they could. They drew him into a warm, sunny world where he thought nothing could hurt him.
He was wrong. They had been wrong.
But now, Oria was telling him--]
If I can't forget, if I can't let go...What am I supposed to do?
[He presses the tip of the lance in a little more firmly. Just one blow. If Oria shoots, then]
I don't want to run away anymore.
no subject
And you know what? Kromer is wrong. "Her Sinclair"?
[ Oria lets out a breathless laugh. ]
I'd rather you be mine.
[ Their attacks are simultaneous, both HPs falling to 0. Oria keeps standing though, trying not to lean against Sinclair. He really just said that, huh.
Respawning doesn't take long at all, with both of them reappearing in front of the Arena. Oria doesn't say anything and seems pretty content after all that. If Sinclair looks like he'll need a hug, he'll give him one. ]
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I'd rather you be mine.
But it's those last words that leave Sinclair shaken, and vulnerable, even as the world warps around them and they re-spawn outside the Arena.
He wipes at his eyes, sniffling as he tries to pull himself together]
...you're really unfair, saying that right then...
[After all his defenses have been broken.
He does need a hug. Or two. Or three]
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I can say it again now, just for you.
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Mm. I might need to hear it again, just to make sure.
[He has never been the most confident, his heart always at unease. He knows this well]
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Will you be mine?
[ His voice is quiet, and since they're hugging each other tightly, it's right into his ear. Ganba, Sinclair. ]
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Yeah. [His breath hitches a little] I'm yours.
[Oria's Emil. He likes the sound of that so much more. Not everything is solved. But this is more than he could have ever hoped for]