balance_logs | Lunar Interlude 3

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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

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[Ferran guesses being trapped isn't anything new, at this point. That doesn't mean he's any more pleased about it, and he ends up staring at the provided items with an increasing amount of Done. If looks could kill, he'd be burning holes into the wall.

As it is, they're still stuck.]

I expected the end of the world to be more serious.

[He is so tired but he can at least manage something resembling humor. ... literally, he hasn't slept in a couple of days, god help them.]

[ Hibiki has already reached his limit of being Done for at least a month when he realizes that an inflatable hammer is a part of their inventory. If it was just an ordinary inflatable toy, though...

At least the wooden toy sword looks normal, even if it's just as useless at first glance. Then, he rolls his eyes at the "DO NOT USE CROWBAR" note. ]

It's natural that they want to test us, I suppose. But this...

[ Maybe it's better if he doesn't share his opinion for once. The disapproval is written all over his face anyway. ]

This chemistry set seems to be the only useful thing in our possession.

[Whatever opinion Hibiki happens to have, it's unlikely Ferran would disagree at this point. With a sigh, he picks up the set, turning it over to read the contents.]

Do you think it might have something strong enough to get through whatever the walls are?

[A thought occurs to him.]

There has to be something that'll help, right? If they actually want us to get out.

Not as it is, I believe. We'll have to become chemists for a while.

[ He's skilled at cooking, but cooking up a bomb or an acid is a bit different. ]

My bets are on the set. Unless eating the spaghetti will make us go through walls.

[ He means that ironically, but on the other hand... ]

[He side-eyes the spaghetti. Seeing what the rest of the options are doesn't make him terribly confident in... whatever might be in that.]

Maybe it can be a last resort.

[He opens up the box, taking out the different pieces. The fact that it's a kid's toy at least means it should come with an instruction manual to point them in the right direction, maybe...]

I've forgotten everything useful about chemistry if I ever knew it, so it's probably going to be some trial and error unless you know how to get the most out of it.

[With all the parts laid out, he stares in concentration for a moment, the red jewel on his necklace glinting before an empty vial identical to those in the kit manifests in his hand. He lets out a sigh that's half relief and half resignation as he examines it for any faults.]

At least that's still working...

Or our last supper.

[ Hibiki presses his palm to his forehead and lets out a groan. Too much stress. He never acts upon it nor tells jokes. This is terrible, truly terrible.

Looking through the substances it becomes clear that their options are rather limited and the instructions leave a lot to be desired. ]

"Do not get strange ideas like mixing salt and water and warming them up afterward"?

[ Hibiki reads the passage from the guide and tilts his head a little while before gazing up at Ferran again. The empty vial in his head is a confusing sight, to say the least. ]

That's? What is that's?

[That would have been enough to earn a chuckle out of him in normal circumstances. Sadly, Hibiki's rare humor will have to go unacknowledged, for now.

Ferran's voice is probably the most deadpan it's ever been in his life as he responds to the apparent instructions.]

Useful.

[The question draws him out of his dull-stare mode, at least, and he turns to Hibiki as he explains. It's not something he's done a lot before, but it's a familiar enough topic that it's easy. ... Easier than the rest of this trial, anyway.]

I can... copy things, I guess. What's in here doesn't seem too complicated, so I can probably manage a few do-overs if we don't get the results we want.

Oh, that opens many new possibilities.

[ Hibiki leaves the chemistry set for a moment to examine the crowbar again—namely the note attached to it only to let out an exasperated sigh a moment later. ]

"Do not use crowbar"...if it was "Do not use the crowbar", you could have copied it.

[ He's that type to pay attention to every little detail. ]

Back to square one, I suppose. Do you want to try first?

Yeah... I was thinking about that too.

[He's still a little on the fence about it, honestly. Did they just not consider the idea of other crowbars? How aware are the test makers of what they can do? Unfortunately, the wording is vague enough to make him unsure. ... Copying the easy way out probably wouldn't be what they're looking for, anyway.

Ferran presses his lips together, quickly glancing over the... questionable instructions. These will probably not be helpful.]

I can give it a shot, I guess.

[He examines a few bottles of strangely-labeled materials before creating a couple of duplicates, a thoughtful frown on his face. Being able to copy them does not mean he necessarily understands what's in them or how they react to anything, but here goes nothing—he pours a few into an empty beaker.

(Oh god, he has no safety equipment. He liked that part of chemistry class. Why did this thing not come with goggles and gloves???)

... the mixture fizzles and starts making white smoke. Like, a lot of smoke.]

I really hope this isn't toxic.

[ Hibiki watches him in silence—Ferran probably needs to focus, so he doesn't want to disturb him in any way—however, his gaze shifts to the other substances in the set. The concoction looks promising, even with lots of smoke coming out. Hibiki adjusts his collar to cover his mouth and nose and even though it's not much, he offers to help: ]

Maybe I should do it just in case? I'm wearing gloves.

[ Not that they're going to help much if this really is toxic or dangerous, but still. ]

I wonder if it can change the structure of the door...well, we have to see that for ourselves.

[He coughs and waves away some of the smoke, although it seems to cling around him regardless. Cool, a personal cloud. Great. He holds out the beaker to the other young man.]

Go ahead.

[It's your funeral, Hibiki. Maybe they'll get lucky, though—it's not like he can tell what the hell he's made, or even what it's made of.]

[ He tries not to breathe the smoke in, but it's almost impossible, even if he's trying to not waste any time and get this done as soon as possible.

The real question is how he should do it. Well, it's not like he can consider all his options carefully—the smoke makes tears form in the corners of his eyes—so, perhaps a little carelessly, Hibiki splashes the liquid on the door. The hissing sound sounds both promising and ominous and he steps away.

Save from that, nothing really happens though. ]

Maybe if I stare long enough, I'll make a hole in the door.

[ Or maybe he should lick it, as he's known of his poison tongue. ]

[Hissing is... good?]

It's a start... I guess. Are you okay?

[Gloves are great, but if the stuff is enough to start weakening a door, it probably isn't that great with clothes.]

I would say that's only useful for catharsis, but I can't even be sure anymore.

[For all he knows, laser eyes are a legitimate thing that people can accomplish. He steps a little closer to where the door supposedly is, but far enough to avoid any more fumes for now.]

We could try kicking it?

I am fine, thank you.

[ He'd be even better if they managed to get out fast, but complaining won't lead them anywhere. ]

Let's try this. On three, if that's alright? [ Hibiki will wait for Ferran to come closer before starting the count ]

One...two...three!

[ At the signal, he raises his leg swiftly and tries to kick the door down after giving it his all. He should've put some points into STR instead of DEX...maybe if Ferran joins him, the door will at least budge. ]

[Ferran nods in agreement, then turns to ready himself for the attempt. If his gem was still working, he could add a good four points to strength score, but sadly he will not be transforming any time soon. Goodbye throwing swords, goodbye punting monsters into walls. :'(

That said, he's just a wizard with some stamina and vague muscle memory now. But if he aims his kick to where he remembers the inside edge of the door being...

When their kicks connect, Ferran can hear a brief hydraulic hiss as they knock... something out of place, leaving a small gap. Progress?!

They could really use that crowbar right about now. Still, there are a few other items they haven't used that might be helpful...]

[ If they could use the crowbar, life would be much easier. Alas, it's all about creativity and perhaps it shouldn't be that surprising that their attempt at kicking the door down wasn't as successful at it could have been. ~~It might have something to do with their stats, though.~~

Hibiki turns around to lay his gaze on the items they have left. With Ferran's ability, they should be able to have at least a few more tries and he's truly grateful for that, even if he'd rather not do this with a "hit or miss" method.

Of course he can't stop staring at the "DO NOT USE THE CROWBAR" note. Why this. Although he's not sure what kind of state the door is currently in, Hibiki tries throwing a butter knife. It turns out that something indeed happened as they're much more...sticky. At least the spot he was aiming at since the knife remains there.

It's difficult to tell if that's progress or not, though. ]

We're left with the wooden sword, tableware, and spaghetti. We might as well start digging a hole in the floor with the spoons.

[ It's time for some dry humour. ]

[~~They'll just have to get some metal boots for any kicking endeavors in the future.~~

Ferran's eyebrows go up at that toss—that might have been something he could manage in his transformed state, but otherwise... well, it takes a lot of skill. It would be a good skill to have right now, if... they needed accuracy... Why couldn't they have just given them an obstacle course or something...

So yeah, he gets it, but it's not like they're entirely lacking in potentially sturdy items... yet. Now that they've actually made something resembling progress, he's feeling almost hopeful about the situation.]

The sword should give us some kind of leverage, if we can fit it in there...

[It's no crowbar, but even if it's a little flimsy, it might be alright if it's doubled up.]

[ Thankfully, Ferran still hasn't given up to the temptation of dry jokes and this idea is actually quite good. Hibiki nods and offers him the sword before his fingers go up to undo his tie. Rather than complaining about how untidy he must look like right now, he decides to focus on getting out there first, hoping that Ferran won't mind this disgrace. ]

I can't see why we shouldn't try it. It might even work. Your powers might prove very useful later on, I believe.

[Ferran's a teenager, so he really couldn't care less about whether Hibiki is wearing a tie. His focus is instead on creating a copy of the sword he's been given, and it appears in another flash of light in his right hand.]

I hope so.

[If both of them break, all he'll be able to make is some broken pieces, so he drops one of them a few feet away for now. He's actually kind of glad what they've been given is so simple... as much as he can be about being stuck in a featureless room.

He considers the gap and the swords for a few moments, angling the "blade" to wedge it inside. That's step one, at least. But...]

Do you think you could give me a hand? I don't have a lot of strength in my arm.

[He thought he'd gotten used to it, but that was when he could transform and suddenly have superhuman abilities. Add it to the list of things he'll have to adjust to...]

Oh, of course.

[ Neither does he, but perhaps the determination to get out of here will give both of them boost to strength. Hibiki wraps his fingers tight around the upper side of the handles and peeks on Ferran to see if they're good to go—if they both are, he'll start trying to pry the door open.

~~Sometime they'll realize that the spaghetti is here for a reason.~~ ]

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Lunar Interlude 3

Closed to Hibiki: Initiation

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