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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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[ Unless this were more than a two-directional swap...
...No, no one would act like this except Hani. Michel heaves as big a sigh as Hani's tiny lungs can manage. ]
I did promise I would have a drink for you...
[ Time to open his inventory — except, he actually opens their inventory to find. An entire liquor shop worth of wares. ]
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[ stuff that michel can never unhear coming out of his own lips, said with his own voice. ]
I like it, too, so I thought I’d do my best to be you today. Big warm Winter-kun whose words are always like the best types of hugs.
[ oh don’t mind the alcohol. ]
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No, this is... undoubtedly the worst impression of me anyone has ever done. [ The first, but still the worst. Warm? Hugs?? ] ...Wait. Tell me you haven't been using my body to "play pretend" with Tylor.
[ He's no longer minding the alcohol. He thinks he might need the alcohol. ]
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I haven't been using your body to play pretend with Justy-kun.
[ and they'll get to why, but more importantly!! there's a firm clap, shutting the book on obedience and putting their foot down. ]
No, I'm right and you're wrong. [ DENIED. ] This is the Winter-kun that I see. Please apologize for saying he's the worst impression of you. I won't allow that even if I love you.
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Which part is like me?! I-I don't go around hugging people. Or telling them I— [ help, now he has to say it, ] —love them.
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[ it makes sense! ]
The love part is all me. But I still think I’m right.
I FELL ASLEEP WITH THIS IN MY TABS WAH
[ He can't reach all the way to pat his own head as Hani, but he can reach out and pat... his own arm. Hani's eyes narrow very slightly in amusement; either even Michel can't wholly keep his stoicism in this expressive body, or he's just been caught making a joke. ]
Your reasoning reminds me of Justy.
[ Or, terribly, the fact that he thinks he's beginning to understand both of them reminds him of each other. ]
no subject
[ how suspicious. does he really understand! …but then he mentions justy and the smile that blossoms on winter’s face breaks through the snow like spring. ]
Justy-kun is very convincing, that’s true.
[ there’s no mistaking the affection there. ]
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I don't really... your hugs are...
[ Fine. No, welcome. Sometimes even wanted. Michel rolls Hani's shoulders uncomfortably and shakes their head, welcoming the topic shift. ]
I would have said, inescapable. [ But he looks up with some curiosity at the tone of voice. He didn't know his own voice could do that, actually. ] Did you see one of his memories as well?
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No. No, I… after I saw Gani-kun’s memories, I avoided that place. For, um, for the most part. I don’t like it when you aren’t asked for your consent, when you’re forced to share.
[ actually: ]
That’s also why we can’t drink in these bodies, Winter-kun, so we should wait for that.
no subject
I'm sure he would rather you saw them than... [ well. ] a stranger. But I agree.
[ Right. The immediate problem at hand, though: ]
Do you think this wears off in a day, like the other effects?
no subject
[ like they've done this before.
but, hey, wait a second. slowly, like a great detective who has remembered a vital evidence they were told at the start of the case: ]
... Winter-kun, you said you don't go around hugging people... but Gani-kun said you've hugged several times!
[ what about THAT, huh???? ]
no subject
Michel — a criminal caught in the act — freezes up, eyes going wide. ]
H-he asked me to!
[ Is hugging something that needs a defense? Good, because he has one. ]
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He did?? Gani-kun?? [ wow! wow wow wow. ] He never asks anyone else to do that.
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[ That was the kind of personality Ganymede had. Resilient, determined. Reluctant to admit to weakness or uncertainty. It's clear from that just how much that memory had hurt him...
Michel glances up in the middle of his deep contemplation to find his face making an unholy bright smile. Reaching up with Hani's little arms to try to squash that face back into shape...! ]
What is that look for?!
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I’m just happy that he asked you - and you were there to listen and hug him.
[ because they know how warm and kind michel is. it makes them feel good that ganymede knows, too. ]
I’m happy he’s found someone he can ask. And I’m happy it’s you.
no subject
I just happened to be there. [ Just how well does Hani's skin show a blush? Because he's not doing a very good job at not feeling flustered over this. ] But I, ah...
[ He doesn't need to pour out his whole soul to Ganymede's cousin, does he? But Hani is likely worried about Ganymede in their own way. Again. He can give them that much. ]
...I'm also... happy that he asked.
[ Please don't say those words to Ganymede ever. ]