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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I guess.

[For a few seconds, it seems like he's going to leave it at that and stay right where he is. Before 76 can say anything more, though, the teenager does actually sit up with some effort, rubbing his face.

He'll have to find a better spot that's out of the way later...]

[He appears to consider this an acceptable turn of events, and extends a hand for Ferran should he choose to stand. 76 won't be offended if the assistance is turned down--he knows it's nothing personal.]

You're new here?

[Ferran does take the offered hand after a moment's pause to gather his bearings, just so he can be sure he won't topple over once he actually does get to his feet. He's still getting used to waking up on a moon base of all things, and it's leaving him a little disoriented.

He chuckles weakly at the question.]

It's that obvious, huh...?

Just a little.

[Then again, he's not new here and he falls asleep in weird corners all the time, so perhaps it's more of a personality thing than anything else. 76 waits patiently for Ferran to re-establish his balance before he continues.]

We're all new here once.

[He knows he still has a lot to acclimate to here, so it's not a surprise to hear he sticks out. He wipes away any grass that may have stuck to him before turning a question to the stranger. Did he come from another world, too?]

How long have you been here?

Couple months.

[Though with the world-hopping they've been doing, who's to say that it hasn't been more or less time than that? 76 tries not to think about it.]

We just finished our second mission.

I see...

[Only two missions so far... of just how many, Ferran wonders. They're supposed to be stopping... the whatever it is destroying worlds, but who knows how long and how much effort that will take?

... it's not like he has much to go back to anyway, so this is just going to be his life for the foreseeable future. He sighs.]

I guess it's better than being here and not knowing what to do about it.

Trust me, we'll get busy again soon.

[He's thankful for the reprieve, of course, but they're here to complete missions, so nothing will be quiet for long.]

Enjoy the downtime while you can.

[I was trying to, Ferran thinks about his interrupted nap but wisely does not say. Instead, he decides he might as well try to prepare himself.]

How do these missions usually go? I'm guessing they're not that straightforward...

[It's going to take a lot of adjustment, he imagines. He's familiar with fighting and gathering information, but he can't do them the old way anymore.]

Depends what we’re after.

[And he’s not sure he can really speak for every future mission just based on the relics they’ve recovered so far. The principle of the thing, however, is usually the same.]

The relics corrupt people. So you can imagine how it is getting one back from someone who shouldn’t have it.

Even if they didn't corrupt people... I wouldn't think someone would give up that kind of power easily.

[Though perhaps that's just innate to the kind of power they have at all—nothing mystical or magical about it, just the natural course of human nature should anyone use it. He doesn't know enough to make a determination about it, though. There's... a lot of things he doesn't know, he's come to realize, even before coming here.]

I guess we've got a lot of work to do.

That's usually how it goes.

[They didn't have anything like the relics at home, but it's easy enough to draw parallels. Power, money, influence. It all corrupts and 76 has seen it first hand. He doesn't like seeing it here, either, but at least they've been successful so far.

He nods in agreement.]

What kind of, uh. Pamphlet did they give you?

The wizard one.

[There's a little bit of a cringe in his expression as he says it. It's one thing to have magical powers, but another thing to call yourself a wizard.]

What about you?

Paladin, for whatever that's worth.

[He hates it less than he used to, and at least he's not a wizard, he guesses.]

Figure it out yet?

[THANKS...

Ferran nods; 76 looks like he's pretty suited to physical combat, so the idea of him being a defender makes sense.]

Well... I'm trying. My old magic came to me by accident, so having to read and study is new.

[He's not terribly opposed, because it means there's an actual, literal manual for it. His old powers, not so much—he figured things out through a lot of trial and error.]

Ah, see, you had magic.

[76 most certainly did not, and that's proven to be its own struggle. Ferran, at least, will be starting from somewhere in that department.]

I'm still wrapping my head around it.

[Wow, something he's actually more experienced with here for once? He tries to offer 76 a sympathetic smile, even if it's a tired one.]

I get it. I didn't think magic existed until a few months ago, either, so it took me some time to get past... all of that.

Well, you had more of a head start than me.

[This is probably why he's glad not to be a wizard. 76 leans back a little and folds his arms.]

But I can light my sword on fire, so there is that.

[Note to self: do not approach Mr. Paladin while in battle.]

That does sound helpful. Maybe I'll be able to learn some things to help out the physical fighters, at least.

[What he doesn't say is that he'd most certainly rather be using a gun than a sword--might be a little much. This is just an introductory meeting, after all.]

Each role's got a niche.

[He can understand that much, even if magic is largely unfamiliar to him.]

We're meant to be a team, so. Everything's complementary.

Right. I'm sure there's a lot of different skills that go into handling the relic situations.

[He's not really opposed to helping in... a different wa, even if he'd rather take a more active role...]

It's kind of weird to have our role decided for us, though.

Can't say the Director didn't think this one through.

[And they've been successful so far, though he's not so optimistic as to think it will last.]

Don't think it fits?

[Mostly, he just doesn't like not having his magic gem anymore.]

I don't know yet. I'm more used to fighting with a weapon, but... if I don't have the powers I used to, I guess it makes sense I wouldn't be doing much physical fighting anymore.

Always good to stay sharp.

[In some situations, all you need is your fists, and most people would be remiss not to know a little bit about it. He raises an eyebrow.]

How's your hand-to-hand?

Uh... N-not... great.

[He's kicked some onyx monsters in the face a couple times. That's about it.]

I don't have any training or anything.

Lunar Interlude 3

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