balance_logs | Lunar Interlude 3

	What a mess.
	NAVIGATION

1. NEW RECLAIMERS

A. WELCOME WAGON

For the 14 of you who will be arriving today, the story is the same: though you may not remember it, there was a moment where you were living out your life, at home or wherever you were ... and then there was the moment the Hunger came. And amid the television static that is your memory of that moment, a hand reached out to you, beckoning your escape as the tendrils of darkness destroyed everything that ever existed about your world.

"Would you hurry this up, please? Your world no longer stands a chance. Come with me, we are the last bastions of hope for all universes everywhere. And we're going to need you."

And then, unceremoniously, you are dragged through the universal wringer and plopped down on the soft, though not quite cushioned, grass of the Moon Base Quad.

You're not alone, either. Along with the newest members of the Bureau, in a fashion probably not unlike this, there are people waiting here for you. People who wanted to see the heroes the Director has managed to bring in this time.

People who are excited to see what you're capable of.

You have a few minutes to talk with each other — or maybe lob a few questions at the impromptu welcoming committee, or any of the older Reclaimers who may happen to be nearby. But before long, you're whisked away to a different area of the Moon Base.

B. THE VOIDFISH

The 14 of you are quickly divided into three groups, and brought to the easternmost geodesic dome, to an elevator in a well maintained, but sparsely landscaped field. There's nothing particularly ominous feeling about the space — in fact, the two guards who greet you at the elevator entrance seem pleased with your arrival. You are, after all, one of the few chosen by the Director, the few who will reclaim what the Hunger has destroyed.

And in a few moments, you're about to find that out for yourself.

After a tightly packed elevator ride, your group is ushered out to a rather grand looking hall, banners of the Bureau of Balance adorn both sides of smooth metal walls. And inside the Voidfish's chamber stands a tank — impossibly tall, and soaked in a black ink that obscures whatever the tank may be holding.

You may notice a melody, someone playing the violin. It's a bard, on his third round of introducing Reclaimers to the Voidfish.

When he's finished, he pulls out a few pieces of paper — sheet music — opens a drawer at the bottom of the tank, drops the papers in, and shuts it.

And suddenly, it seems you've forgotten everything that may have been ironic about that melody.

If you seem alarmed, the bard takes notice of it.

"Yeah, man, like... don't think too hard about it, it's like that every time. I'm guessing you're here to be inoculated? Just a heads up, you might want to, like, seriously, hold your nose while you drink it down. It tastes wicked gross, man."

You sort of get the sense that he's said this speech once or twice in the past. It's well rehearsed, much like the stories you'd expect a bard to be able to recite.

"Anyway, I'm supposed to tell you that you have a choice. If you drink the black stuff, you'll be able to hear through the, uh... Huh, how do I describe it? Through the [TSHCSCHTSHCHSC] sound. You guys like, hear that? Anyway, it's all about knowledge or something. I don't know, I'm just here to, like, feed the thing. We call it the [TSCHHSCHSCH], by the way.

So, like. You get a choice. You can drink it and understand stuff, or not drink it and then hear that crackling noise all day every day. If I were you, I'd drink it. But, hey man, I'm not like, your dad or anything."

The bard takes five cups and draws liquid from a spigot connected directly to the basin of the large tank. Stormy, muddy looking ichor is drawn into them, one by one. He offers each of you a sip.

Drink it (he wasn't kidding about what it tasted like), and you're inoculated to the wisdom of the Voidfish. You try to remember the song this bard played a few moments ago and the melody, the meter, every octave, all come back to you. And if you think back to your arrival, some of the things you may have heard other people in the Quad say, that simply sounded like static, are suddenly clear. Bureau of Balance. Grand Relic. Reclaimers.

Yet you still can't remember the Hunger or what it had done to your world. And as you look back to the tank in front of you, the water has become clear. There's a jellyfish, as tall as a building, floating within. You look into the body of the creature and you can almost make out a beautiful, tiny universe floating within it.

2. THE TEST OF INITIATION

With your new knowledge on the Bureau of Balance and your purpose here in tow, you are led without hesitation to the Arena, where the final phase of your initiation into the Bureau will be held. You are partnered up, whether it is with someone you drank the ichor of the Voidfish with, or perhaps even a veteran Reclaimer, who either stopped by to help, or simply out of curiosity.

After the proctor confiscates your weapons for the test, the room you are placed in is stark white — it sort of gives off the vibe that it was supposed to do something other than look so sterile once upon a time, but for whatever reason, that function is lost. With a sound similar to an airlock, the door is shut behind you, and the outline disappears, the lines of the door frame magically filled in with the rest of the wall.

Your task here is to escape. You are provided with the following tools:

○ A small flatware set from the café. Two forks, two spoons, two butter knives
○ A popular Faerun children's toy: "It's Elementary, My Dear Brewer: Chemist Set for the Discerning Beginner." It's essentially a simple chemistry set.
○ An inflatable hammer that plays one progressive note of a jingle a lot of you probably hate by now with every hit.
○ A wooden toy sword.
○ A plate of spaghetti — hear us out, though. Thanks to a Reclaimer who came before you, and thanks to the robot that's making your food, it's the kind of spaghetti that grants you extra strength for an hour after eating.
○ A crowbar, with a note attached to it: "DO NOT USE CROWBAR."

Seriously, don't use the crowbar — the purpose of this test is to assess your ability to find a solution outside of the most obvious one. The purpose of this test is to determine if you are capable of resisting the call of a Grand Relic.

Use your wits. Use the path actions granted to you when you arrived. Use any ideas your partner has. But do not use the crowbar.

3. NEWBIES AND VETERANS, AROUND THE MOONBASE

A. I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN

The Reclaimers were already sort of elevated to a certain level in the Bureau, as The Director's chosen few, the ones who were ultimately tasked with saving everyone, and the ones the rest of the Moon base is charged with assisting. And now that the Reclaimers have successfully brought home two Grand Relics, they're ... starting to become something of household names. Moon Base names?

The next time you wander into town — an old Reclaimer veteran or a brand new face — you may very well be accosted by a well-meaning, if curious admirer. And they have questions: Did you get to hold the Grand Relic? Is it true that you took out a sandworm by tricking it into tying itself in a knot? Can they see your weapon? Would you spar with them sometime? Maybe they're not quite this annoying. But still annoying.

You may need the assistance of another Reclaimer to escape from this wholesome new Adoring Fan of yours.

B. MALFUNCTION

Resting on the Moon Base is your time to catch up. Maybe there's someone you didn't spend a lot of time with in the Netheril. Maybe you're new, and you're still working on meeting as many of your fellow Reclaimers as possible.

Which is fair. These are the people you will have to cooperate with for the foreseeable future, so it's best that you get to know them as well as possible, right?

And then, one day, your Bracer buzzes with a message:

Hello!

Not all that curiously, the message appears to come from a username that you recognize. Whoever it is, it's another Reclaimer — one that you know well.

Much more curiously, the message is followed by an odd beeping, and a perhaps familiar two-toned sound of something shutting down. And when you try to message your friend back, you may find that:

For the next 24 hours, your bracer's translator feature is broken. You will not be able to understand Common — and when you speak, you won't be translated into Common. Have fun with that!

And yeah, that probably wasn't actually your friend messaging you. Add another mystery to your list of weird phenomena that needs addressing.

C. POWERING DOWN

This is meant to be a few weeks of rest while the rest of the Bureau prepares for your next mission. The Director, however, believes that this free time should be used to better oneself however they might see fit, and she certainly won't stop anybody who'd like to spend time in the areas they've visited previously — and any new Reclaimers who would like to learn a little more about Faerun.

Grab a pal and try these options, both on the Moon Base and beyond, on for size:

○ Stop Dying 101: Also known as Fatalistic Fauna, and Danger Sense to channel your inner barbarian. This is a class that was introduced after the first field mission that offers instruction on basic survival strategies when up against the more inhospitable areas of Faerun. The class is open to everyone, but if you have died at least once during the course of Balance, attendance is mandatory (Unless you're an old bird who was talked into teaching a class instead). Yes, that means you, Komaeda!

Curiously, the simulators for this class seem to be working just fine. Neither the Director nor the instructor are going to question it. The monster of the month you'll be facing is the Tarrasque (scaled down to size, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying) — are you cunning enough to escape the simulation? Or are you going to go against the point of the class and try to fight it?

○ Winding down room: A small room filled with the kotatsus brought back from Vista Virs, board games, books, and other quiet activities for one of the days where you're feeling a little more restful. At the front of the room, a keyboard and other instruments are waiting — unnamed Bureau members will offer a few quiet, soothing performances throughout the day, but you're welcome to play as well.

○ Visiting New New Aspen: You may have noticed that there's an enormous tree (You say Christmas, we say Candlenights) jutting out past the atmosphere, nearly touching the Moon Base itself. This was the site of the first field mission, and the tree stands as a monument to the Reclaimers first success in recapturing a Grand Relic. At the bottom of the tree, a peaceful town that cherishes the ornaments it makes sits. The mayor of New New Aspen, Matthew, will greet you warmly, and invite you to any number of ornament carving classes, or to dinner with his Aunt Laurel (She's a giant spider, by the way), or to even just spend some time with the giant cats that protect the town.

Perhaps worringly, though, the cat captain of the guard, Bread, is missing.

○ Visiting Vista Virs: A town in the middle of an unforgiving desert that was left completely destroyed. If you choose to return, expect to be put to work — you'll be gathering supplies, helping rebuild homes, or just comforting the Needlers, a race of catcus people who inhabited the town, who have lost everything.

D. THE MOON IS YOUR SPACE OYSTER (WILDCARD)

There are plenty of other locations around the Moon Base that you can explore at your own discretion. Feel free to refer to the Settings page for more ideas on what shenanigans you can get into.

Additionally, we'll be fielding Bender rolls again this month! If a food item was destroyed in a failed roll previously, you may roll to try to fix it. Bear in mind, of course, that you may make it worse.

Successful food rolls will stay in place at this time, and can be utilized how you like. Keep in mind that only one magical effect can be in place at a time.

blurb code by photosynthesis

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hot damn, you rolled an 18! Yeah, Wash is getting Oreos.

In a variety of different flavors, even. You've got the classic, you've got the red velvet cake, you've got the enchanted gourd spice latte variety ...

Regardless of what flavor you choose, you'll be granted something of a temporary boost to your speech-giving skills. Specifically, if you need to be giving a rousing pep talk? The words will occur to you instantly, and you'll articulate them perfectly. Someone tries to dunk you? You won't have to wait until you're in the shower two days later to come up with the perfect clapback.

These cookies are particularly dangerous in the hands of a bard with Vicious Mockery, so share them wisely, Wash.

A bard with Vicious Mockery you say...

A bard with Viscous Mockery, you say..................

A bard with Vicious Mockery you say................

pun

Wash is keeping the hell out of that secret because weaponized Oreos, man :|

(Also he is just beyond happy that he has Oreos at all and wishes to enjoy this little piece of heaven before sharing it. It will, however, eventually be shared.)

The items raided from the lab are as follows (pending approval):
- One espresso maker and a generous supply of beans.
- A pen with the ability to write/draw on the air. Writing hangs in the air with a soft glow and disappears either in an hour or when the pen is clicked.
- A belt that bends light to provide temporary camouflage/imperfect invisibility for two minutes. Can only be used once per long rest.
- Computer odds and ends (metals, wiring, computer chips and innards, plastic, etc) and a set of tools. He plans on using these for armor maintenance and repair, because he's pretty sure nobody else here knows how to take care of his armor.
- Finally and possibly most importantly, if Lucas left any information lying around - notes, schematics, blueprints, etc - he's taking as many of those as he can manage. You never know when something will come in handy.

Believe it or not, he's going to try to sell the espresso maker to Garfield, because Bender's espresso is currently terrible and Garfield could be making profits hand over fist by selling individual cups of espresso at Starbucks prices to a caffeine deprived moon population. Fantasy Costco, now featuring Fantasy Starbucks. He's absolutely certain a businessman of Garfield's acumen is more than clever enough to make the most of the situation.

Hey there! We're fine with everything except for the pen, which, while it's a neat effect, is veering a bit too close to Faerun's definition of magical item. If you'd like, you can come up with an alternative — or if you'd like a more comedic route, Garfield can accidentally break it when Wash attempts to sell it. Up to you!

For the espresso maker, that is a very tempting offer indeed. And since Garfield is easily swayed with the thought of profits, we'll offer you a bit of an easier roll to sell it for a good price — in Wash's favor.

How does a DC of 8 sound?

That's fair! I'll need a bit of time to come up with an alternative for the pen; in the meantime, let's roll for Fantasy Starbucks!

(If he rolls a full-on nat 20, Wash would like to try negotiating for a cut of the profits. I am perfectly fine with this not being an acceptable addendum; I just think it would be hilarious.)

You came pretty damn close to a nat 20! Congrats, you rolled an 18!

This is the most exquisite espresso machine Garfield has ever laid his eyes on — or at least, he is so thoroughly convinced by Wash's sales pitch here, he, with the stars of profits glimmering in his kinda greedy cat eyes, will offer Wash three times what the espresso machine is actually worth.

Wash will have enough to buy himself a nice new weapon, and two new weapons for others (or himself) if he feels like it, with plenty left over to buy a round for everyone at Madame Frione's Tea Kettle. Or he could hoard it like a dragon. We won't judge!

(One of these days I'll get back to these on time instead of two weeks later)

Dragon hoarding it is! You never know when you'll need funds for piano daughter's new table.

(He found the entire kotatsu venture to be super weird, but he is pleased with the results.)

As for a replacement item, I'm thinking a flat circular piece of machinery, about the size of a silver dollar, that can be mounted on a gauntlet or bracer and projects a hard light shield about two feet in diameter when activated. It can take several hard blows or a multitude of smaller ones before deactivating and can be used once per short rest. (It's a temporary Captain America shield that can't be removed or thrown, essentially.)

Also, Wash has been spending a good amount of the Lunar Interlude in the library, researching Faerun's history, geography, and magic. Sans has helped him with the basics of magic, but he wants to dig deeper into the hows and whys, with two main goals: 1) to understand how magic works so he can be better prepared to handle/counter it, and 2) to have some context for the nitty-gritty of what Lucas/Twocas were attempting to pull off that he helped foil. He's got the broad strokes, but he doesn't think those are enough.

Also also: what was on those notes/schematics/blueprints of Lucas' that he brought back from the lab? Anything of note? Anything he'd have the knowledge base to recognize as important?

Sorry for the delay on this!!

We're good with the item replacement, but suggest giving it a specific limit of either three hard hits or six smaller ones before it's deactivated.

Wash's research toward magic and what the heck Lucas was even trying to do will eventually lead him to the planes of existence, of which there is plenty of source material. With regards to Lucas specifically, he was dabbling in/tampering with Astral Plane, which is where the souls of the departed go after they've passed. And maybe it's a universal constant that things tend to go completely sideways when you try to cheat death — when you try to remove the barrier between the afterlife and the right here so that someone you're sorely missing can escape.

Which is kind of curious, considering there have certainly been a fair number of Reclaimers who have died, and were subsequently brought back. Why was Lucas' mother different? Was she trapped somewhere? Are other spirits simply easier to reach than she was?

There are a couple of info paths to take here, if he wants more context for the planes Lucas was messing around with: Wash could try finding the Reclaimers who have died and were brought back, and asking them about the experience. He could ask the man actually in charge of that revivify operation: He goes by Dr. Tank, and he runs the infirmary. He could also read more about the Raven Queen, the supposed goddess of the moment of death.

They are largely schematics for the lab itself, and also, of note, the robots that are currently building their socialist country in the lab. Now that we know that Lucas has been spared, you never know when some robot blueprints might come in handy.

No worries! It's almost like y'all are super busy or something. |Db

Those limits sound good!

Wash is going to go chat up Dr. Tank - he needs to get out of the library for a bit, and Qrow has made it pretty clear that most people who've died probably won't want to talk about it. Plus, he has to admire anyone who can keep Futayo and Kenpachi in the infirmary for any length of time.

It's nice to know how his little robot buddies work. :)

Lunar Interlude 3

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