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

[ Zelda looked back up at Gohan as he addressed her, ears turning forward in attention to his voice. He noticed the bracelet? Then he had to understand what it meant, that it marked her as a Bureau of Balance Reclaimer, and not just some stray animal. If he understood that much, perhaps he would realize that she needed help.

Feeling hopeful, she did as instructed and stamped her left paw twice against the ground.

Unlike Gohan, the typically astute princess had not yet noticed her companion's bracer (nor much else about his appearance, including his missing arm). The significant drop in height and changes to her senses had disrupted Zelda's typical perspective. Everything smelled of, well, everything and the assault of so many strong smells was overwhelming to Zelda. In comparison, she felt like her sight had diminished; her vision was as sharp as ever (or perhaps even moreso), but the colors of her surroundings were significantly less vibrant. Zelda was disoriented in her new form, to say the least. ]

[ Well, that certainly put things into perspective. After all, even if he got along with animals pretty well, that didn't mean that they necessarily understood what he was saying. Most of the time, it was Gohan trying to interpret what they wanted, taking pleasure from a lucky guess bearing fruit.

But there was nothing to guess here, nothing to interpret. She understood him, so either she was a very gifted animal... or she wasn't an animal at all. ]

Stamp your right paw once if you're not normally a wolf.

[ He was contemplative, Gohan bending his knees to crouch down to the wolf's level. His gaze locked on that right paw, waiting to see if his guess was right. ]

[ Zelda lifted her right paw and stamped the ground once. No, not normally a wolf.

Her blue eyes watched him intently as he knelt down, bringing himself down so that he was on equal level with her. This time, she looked more carefully at his features. What kind of man was this, who could look past her appearance and guess that she was more than just a beast?

A large man, for starters. Tall and muscular, moreso than many of her soldiers, with sharp features and intense eyes that she suspected had seen many battles. His well worn clothes, scarred skin, and... Her eyes traveled to the loose sleeve that hung at his side. Empty. Her ears flicked once, twice. A warrior, no doubt about it. A suitable choice for a Reclaimer, Zelda suspected. Likely moreso than a sovereign with no power, who had trapped herself in the form of a wolf on her very first day. ]

[ There was a brief moment where Gohan said nothing, looking back up to the wolf's striking blue eyes with a quiet intensity. His mind swimming with possibilities, trying to figure out just which one of those he needed to focus on. She could understand him. She wasn't normally a wolf. So she was either stuck like this, or she preferred this form.

Did she need help? She'd been whining for attention before, something he'd originally mistaken for hunger. Maybe the problem was that she was stuck like this, and needed someone to help her change back. But even if that was the case...

How could he possibly help in this scenario. ]

... Do you... need my help?

[ Zelda's ears flicked forward again attentively and her tail began to wag. Yes! Help was exactly what she needed! She was stuck in this form and had no idea how to get out. Surely there was a master of druidism around who could correct Zelda's blunder.

But all that was a bit more complicated than she could probably communicate to Gohan. Even her most careful attempts to force her wolf mouth to speak a human word resulted in whines or barks.

Perhaps she couldn't speak, but she could still use human body language, to an extent. She sat down on her hind legs and concentrated on raising and lowering her head in a nodding motion. It probably looked awkward, but hopefully it conveyed the right message. ]

[ If anything convinced Gohan that this was a person stuck in a wolf form, it was most definitely the nodding. Sure, it absolutely looked awkward coming from a wolf, but it was definitely the kind of thing a normal person would've been comfortable doing. It elicited a small chuckle from Gohan. ]

I... must've looked silly. Thinking you were hungry, and petting you.

[ He said with a sheepish chuckle, idly scratching his cheek. He didn't mind speaking like he had earlier to a wolf, but knowing that this was a real person beneath that form suddenly made him feel a little self conscious. ]

Sorry about that...

[ Zelda wanted to tell him that he had nothing to apologize for. He had been quite kind to her, and didn't seem silly at all. And to be quite honest, she was hungry. But barking at the poor man wouldn't do either of them any good and Zelda wasn't sure how to pantomime such a complicated message.

She settled for flicking her ears and wagging her tail against the ground. That would come off reasonably amiable, right? Hopefully it would be enough to encourage him to continue taking her to wherever he had originally planned. Turning back to her normal self might be a complicated problem that could not be solved quickly.

Hunger, however, was a much simpler problem to solve. ]

[ He wasn't exactly sure if she was forgiving him, agreeing with him, or correcting him. Whatever the case, Gohan was still glad that she didn't seem all too upset about it, reaching forward to pet her head again. He stopped himself at the last second though, remembering the current situation.

Apparently petting animals was just coded into his genetics. ]

W-Well, I... don't know how to turn you back to normal, unfortunately... [ He said apologetically, a sad smile on his face. ] But if you're actually hungry, I still know where we can find something to eat?

[ Zelda saw him reach out toward her and closed her eyes in anticipation of his hand upon her head...

...but nothing happened. She opened her eyes to see that he had retracted his hand and felt a little pang of disappointment. Being pet actually felt... rather nice. But it was definitely impolite to do to a princess and it was probably for the best that Gohan had realized that.

The mention of food pushed that thought right out of mind and Zelda's stomach growled in response. Immediately, she was on her feet, tail swishing back and forth. "Yes!" Zelda barked. "I'm famished! I have had nothing since breakfast." ]

[ Well, there was no mistaking that reaction. The half-breed grinning widely, as he rose to his feet once more, and began to move toward the cafe-- the only place Gohan found so far that could actually cater to his appetite. Sure, it didn't solve the larger problem at hand, and she'd still be stuck in her wolf form.

But at least she wouldn't go hungry while waiting to solve the problem. ]

Alright, follow me. I know a good place.

[ Zelda kept pace alongside Gohan as he lead the way. Locating food wasn't the problem for Zelda; with her significantly enhanced sense of smell, it was hard not to smell food anywhere she turned. No, the problem was acquiring food. Barking and whining wasn't conducive to placing an order at a restaurant or anything.

She wondered what sort of food he would get for her. What sort of food should she eat? Would normal food be all right to consume in her wolf form, or should she be eating whatever was natural for wolves to eat? The thought of eating raw meat was incredibly unappealing... ]

Lunar Interlude 3

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