balance mod (
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balance_logs2019-09-02 04:13 pm
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Entry tags:
- ace attorney: maya fey,
- ace attorney: mia fey,
- carmen sandiego: carmen sandiego,
- danganronpa: kaede akamatsu,
- danganronpa: kokichi oma,
- danganronpa: shuichi saihara,
- doki doki literature club: sayori,
- final destination: alex browning,
- good omens: aziraphale,
- jjba: guido mista,
- original: ferran gallagher,
- overwatch: jesse mccree,
- overwatch: soldier 76,
- persona: minato arisato,
- red vs blue: agent washington,
- sailor moon: minako aino,
- umineko: lion ushiromiya,
- umineko: willard wright,
- undertale: sans
Field Mission 5: Il Prigioniero, Part 1
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![]() 1. IL PRIGIONIERO: WELCOME TO CORMANTHORA. A CRASH BETWEEN TWO FERNS Lucretia has given the orders and locale for the next Grand Relic to be reclaimed and destroyed, a task that will present itself with many new and weird dangers that the Reclaimers haven't come across before. For anyone looking to brush up on their history of Myth Drannor, the Netheril, and the forest of Cormanthor, some of you have already learned a great deal of what occurred here, in bits and pieces. Leon, the Artificer of the Bureau of Balance, had described the tale of a very unfortunate city facing a major energy crisis that was bleeding out the land. You've already met the culprit behind one of the worst decisions humanity has ever made (Spoiler: it's Karsus, a god-tier shit wizard who sacrificed himself to get some of you out of dodge back in Lyrabar), and seen the destruction, first hand, of what happened to the Netheril via the events of Vista Virs. Phew, that's a lot of lore to take in all at once. ![]() But that's all ancient history at this point. No one's been able to make it deep enough into the woods to find out what really happened. Most often, they find the city of Shadowdale instead, and with that... Wonderland. Speaking of which, you'll be blasted down to the outskirts of the forest. The entire balance of magic in this area is highly off kilter, which isn't entirely new to some of you veteran Reclaimers. When a Grand Relic is used, it often leaves behind a very distinct path of destruction that makes even the most learned scholars scratch their head. Magical interference runs nigh high throughout all of Cormanthor, which makes this mission particularly dangerous. Bubbles are not able to penetrate the canopy of Cormanthor or land directly at Wonderland. As Lucretia had said a few months ago, these missions are going to get harder and come with higher consequences. She has faith in all of you to make better decisions. You're the most amazing and stalwart people she's ever met, after all. Blasted down to Cormanthor in parties no more than 4, you land somewhere near the outskirts of the forest. Look behind you, and you can see the yellow-hued mountains of the Netheril behind you, boasting a land of pure desert and its own uniquely cursed roster of flora and fauna. Pitter patter, Reclaimers.
2. THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASSB. EMPTY WOODS The woods of Cormanthor were stunningly beautiful once. Before most people who walk among these trees were born, sure — but once upon a time, this was a beautiful place. A living, thriving forest, like any other great wood. When the Reclaimers enter, however, the first thing they'll notice is the silence. Unnatural, ubiquitous, and oppressive, silence is the single unifying factor throughout these woods. The trees themselves shift, first sparse pines, then white ash and beech, and finally towering oaks, maples, and hickory. The silence doesn't change. There is no noise but the wind rustling the leaves on the trees — and as you get further in, even that begins to fall away. It will become quickly apparent that there's no animal life here. This is a forest in stasis, certainly, but it's utterly devoid of birds flying overhead, four-legged creatures scurrying through the leaf debris. No deer, no wolves, no bears. No monsters. No insects, even, if you're paying attention. Those with the ability to speak with animals will notice very quickly that life simply doesn't seem to exist here. Those with the ability to speak to plants may be even more alarmed, because while the trees and other plants do respond, their replies are sluggish and distant, somewhat reminiscent of speaking to someone suffering with a severe fever, drifting in and out of consciousness. Travel through Cormanthor's forest takes a few days' time, and so much time spent in silence begins to take a toll. Never mind the fact that no matter your Boy Scout badges, you can't forage for anything useful out here: nothing from the forest that is eaten provides any sustenance. Eat a bucket full of berries, and you'll still be as hungry as if you hadn't eaten a thing. The trees press in on all sides, and you know each one is different from the last, but after a while they all start to look the same. Some will be more affected than others. Those with a madness effect (RNG'd or chosen from the list on this mission's dossier) will begin to feel it by the end of the second day. There are infinite options of how to play with this in the frozen forest, but here are a few possibilities: ○ If you have forgotten something important to you (1), it can happen quickly or slowly. Perhaps you're camping with your bubblemates, talking about someone from home. That Greg Grimaldis, was he really that bad? the Reclaimer to your right asks. Who, you ask, perplexed, brow furrowing, is Greg Grimaldis? C. EMPTY CITY ![]() Then you look up. You can't help but look up. Stretching so high you've got to crane your neck to see to the top is a great gold tree sprung from the center of town. You couldn't see any of it from outside of Shadowdale's borders, but the town, it seems, wants you here. It wants you to see Wonderland. This could be paradise for a while, a place to stay safe from prying eyes and protected by the vastness of the forest as the Reclaimers track down this latest relic. Except, not to put too fine a point on it, it's kind of creepy here. The whole place is empty — not everyone-got-up-and-left-in-a-rush empty, but ghost-town empty. Nobody wants to stay here, it seems. Maybe there's somewhere else they'd rather be. Regardless, it leaves you with plenty of lodgings to choose from. If you don't mind making your own fun, there's plenty to do, too: bookshops to visit, bakeries to use, butcher shops to — okay, maybe not that one. There's a courthouse, though. Who wants to play Judge Judy? Consider any shop or government building one might find in a small town to be fair game. After a few hours, though, it becomes clear that this place isn't quite empty after all. You aren't the only ones investigating. D. A FAMILIAR FACE (OR TWO) ○ The first face you see is a friendly one. Upon seeing the bracer on your wrist, Matthew Hollyweather walks right up to you, all the more readily if he remembers your face from New New Aspen. Despite the setting, he's clearly and genuinely pleased to see Reclaimers here. To those he's met before, he's eager to share all the positive change going on in New New Aspen: the newfound peace, the booming economy, pictures of one bajillion bouncing new spider-nieces-and-nephews. To those new to him, he introduces himself as Mayor Hollyweather of New New Aspen with just enough good-natured self-derision in his tone that he comes off as authoritative but kind of embarrassed about it. Of course, you can't stay in Shadowdale forever. Literally: you can't. Every Reclaimer's feet are inexorably pulled to the entrance to Wonderland after not very long at all. The golden tree at the center of town is impossible to ignore. Step into the elevator at its base, and you might very well find yourself elbow-to-elbow with Matthew or Angus, staring as the numbers tick up . . . up . . . Carrying you to Wonderland. 3. WELCOME TO WONDERLANDE. A BEARY GOOD TIME ![]() Yeah. You know what this guy is all about. Chutes and ladders will take you all over the various places of the park, all branching out from Terminal Square. The entirety of the complex is, at scale, ridiculously large. All throughout Wonderland, you'll be treated like a king if you let yourself be pampered. The sheer amount of gilded perfection that went into crafting this place is at a scale even larger than the Moon Base. Gorgeous fountains spouting golden water are not infrequent, stands selling food of every type imaginable pepper anywhere there's space, and often as you pass by, you can hear people having the time of their lives here. F. PLAY WITH ME IN THE SPACE! There's so much to do in Wonderland. So much. Honestly, you wouldn't be the first to say it's overwhelming. That's part of the fun! Wonderland sweeps you away with all of the fun it brings. We could fill pages with the wonders in Wonderland, but why don't we stick with a few highlights and let you fill in the rest? ○ Wonder Square: When you first enter the confines of Wonder Square, you'll notice it looks and feels sort of like a casino... minus the strong and pungent smells that usually accompany those types of areas, typically. The wide birth of the room overlooks a beautiful vantage point of the top of Cormanthor's forest; pale greens look out into a sea of leaves for miles on end, as if the rest of the world doesn't exist outside of Wonderland itself. And why would you think it does, when you're here? Everyone gets in on the fun here in Wonderland. No matter how reticent one might normally be to do so, something about this place just puts pep in everyone's step. Nine times out of ten you might be the kind of person who finds rides, games, and having fun to be childish or beneath you, but guess what? Here in Wonderland, you're at least a little into it. So are the few non-natives you see. Angus is here, trying to figure out the rules of all these arcade games. Matthew is here, getting lost in Ghost Square and wandering the food court. A couple of other faces, too. Anything in the dossier is fair game for your use. But keep in mind, Reclaimers: those madness effects? They're still very much in effect. You're still in Cormanthor forest, after all. The longer you stay, the more you play, the worse it gets. Little by little, hour by hour, day by day. Have fun, kids. Be yourselves. Don't do anything Lucretia wouldn't do. ![]() ![]() ![]() 4. OOCIn order to keep to our goal of providing the most personalized Wonderland experience for all of you, we're setting a limit of 3 RNG attempts per character this log. Additionally, please be aware that while more mundane rolls will have standard-level DCs (for this log, anyway), any RNG with the potential to uncover plot information is high-risk high-reward and will have a very high DC along with steep penalties for failure. As always, we will let you know of this before we roll, and you have the option to decline any roll at any time. Other than that, this is your story to write and your setting to play with! Anything on the OOC post is fair game, and if there's something you'd like to try, please don't hesitate to let us know on the RNG thread. blurb code by photosynthesis |
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You got a side gig? [Since being a reclaimer is kind of a job already.]
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[It takes her a second to understand what he means by "side gig" because she doesn't really think of being a Reclaimer as a job. Like, they're not paid, and it doesn't always involve piano.
But after a second, she brightens and nods, though she doesn't stop gathering her things -- trash from snacks she was eating, mostly -- and moving to throw them away. Also something I definitely didn't forget and was definitely there in the toplevel, her piano rolls itself to follow the few steps she takes.]
Oh, yeah. Arisato-kun and I both work at the casino. Our boss is pretty strict, but it pays well. I'm hoping I can make friends with some of the patrons there to get more clues!
[There's a beat, and her brow furrows. Has she done that already...? She can't really remember...]
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Just started, huh? You guys old enough to work in a casino?
[Sans would probably be more concerned about some reclaimers just getting a job out of nowhere like this under other, less mind-warping circumstances. As it is, there's just some seed of unease that has yet to sprout but is big enough to bother him. Like a rock in his shoe, or something.]
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somehow I lost all my notifs for this post
A
Then it turns into a proper piano, and he just finds himself annoyed.]
Has anyone told you you're predictable?
[He's in a bad mood, and has been since the first day they got to the park, for pretty obvious reasons. His hood is over his head, obscuring his face from afar but not keeping anyone nearby from seeing it—particularly the new scars on the left side.]
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Oh! Ferran-kun! I didn't know you were there... Isn't this cool?
[He might be in a bad mood, but Kaede herself is absolutely ecstatic. Even the sight of his scars can't really bring her down much, though she does frown with just a little concern.]
Hey... are you okay?
i'm so sorry for him
Of course not. None of us are okay—and we won't be until we find what's messing with our heads and keeping up this carnival.
[The relic. The Aurelian Compact, whatever that does. Funny how Lucretia never talked about details. He gestures at her magic musical companion with a hand that's also been recently injured.]
Is there a reason you're playing with a piano toy right now?
i love him
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B
She pinches herself with a slightly jittery hand, but no, the girl is still there. With the piano. Is this real life? ]
I..
[ She starts the question, but somehow seems to lose her wording after only one word in, and then raises her voice so Kaede can hear. ]
Are you.. okay? [ What else can one ask in this situation. ]
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...Oh!
[Kaede at least has the decency to look embarrassed to be caught arguing with what is, in almost every normal situation, a completely inanimate object. She clasps her hands behind her back, eyes drifting up toward the sky as if searching for an answer that doesn't make her seem crazy.
She doesn't find one and has to regretfully look back to her fellow Reclaimer.]
Ummm... yes. I won this piano, and it follows me around! Which is super convenient, because pushing a piano would be pretty hard normally. But now it's trying to follow me into the hotel, and it's too big to fit through the doors...
[If she'd had even the smallest bit of self-control, she would have left it in its keyboard shape. But she'd been too excited to play it, and wound up transforming it into its current predicament-causing shape.]
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In this place though.. she's not as sure? A lot of weird things have been happening in really quick succession, so this doesn't stand as much as it usually would have. Although it's still a little weird. (More than a little weird, that little paranoid voice that has kept Minako jittery all day already speaks up in the back of her head.) ]
So the piano.. moves. [ Look, she's just trying to confirm the facts here. The weird, weird facts. ] .. By itself. And listens to you.
Like a pet.
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B
Um... do you need a hand or something?
[ please introduce her to your new piano pal?? ]
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[Kaede grabs Honoka's hand and drags her in closer to present the piano to her, pointing with her free one.]
How do you think we can get a piano inside? It's trying to follow me in, and I'm afraid it'll get broken trying to go through the door...
[That would be so heartbreaking. Surely Honoka would understand?]
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[ She was half-expecting Kaede to tell her it was some sort of wack Faerun nonsense that just so happened to coincidentally resemble a real piano, but no. It's a real, actual, not-a-joke piano. You stay weird, Faerun. ]
Uh– well, could we make it go in sideways? I mean, like, longways, you know! You think it could fit through that way?
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It loves you as much as you love it.
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[That's such a sweet thought... it makes her blush, her hands pressing to her cheeks as she smiles back at him.
Then she realizes,]
...Aaaah, but that just makes me feel worse about leaving it outside! What are we going to do, Arisato-kun?
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Turn it in its side?
[ Maybe get a cart or something to wheel it on. ]
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C wink wonk
- wait, a job?
Erika pouts first in surprise and then in confusion, taking her hands off the claw machine's controls and fixing Kaede with one of her slow, piercing stares.]
We are working, [she says, also slowly, as though having to think it through to confirm it for herself. Her butterflies rustle without flying - they've become less and less airborne each day here - and her memories turn over, chasing relevant data through latency. This is a mission. They are working. Kaede is trying to leave without Erika having gotten what she needs. That's unfair because she needs to win to understand and to do her job - fzzzzzzt etc.]
;)
[Metaphorically and literally. Metaphorically, Kaede's timer sure is going to run out if she doesn't start heading to work, but also the claw machine's? It's very, very important that Erika get :clap: that :clap: prize!
Either way, Kaede just shakes her head, lips pursing into an apologetic half-smile.]
No, I mean another job. Arisato-kun and I got work as musicians at the casino! Oh, if you want to come see the show, you definitely should! We perform every night.
[She's edging away as best she can without looking like she's trying to edge away. This attempt is made much more transparent by the grand piano dutifully following along behind her that I definitely didn't forget about.]
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Did you tell anyone? [Blip. Did you tell me? Did I forget? Erika's frown deepens, sets into pride-concern-concentration, adrift in a sea of eerie calm. She reaches for Kaede's arm. Presumably she wants to push her sleeve back. She's been drawing on people, and sparing none but those who flee.]
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C
But Akamatsu-chaaaaaaaan, I can't plan these games alone! They're two player games!!
[He wants to hang out now!!]
Why do you even have a job, aren't we already working for the boss lady on the moon? Why would you ever want a second one?
[He's also slightly concerned about the job thing. Maybe. Because seriously, Kaede, why are you suddenly working here?]
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[She doesn't shake him off, but she doesn't stop trying to walk, either. She's going to work! You can follow too if you want.]
Arisato-kun and I got it! So we can try investigating the casino. All we have to do is play music for three hours... everyone is really nice. Even Maria-san. She looks scary, but she's not bad to work for. Oh, but if we don't show up, we'll get fired, so I really have to go...
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[He tugs more insistently on her arm but his strength is in his legs, not his upper body, so it probably doesn't do much.]
And it's probably not even safe to work at a casino, y'know? Especially in this park!
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C.
You work here now...?
[If he's trying to hide his concern, he's not doing a good job of it at all.]
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[Kaede, on the other hand, doesn't look concerned at all. She clasps her hands behind her back and turns on her heel to start her usual walk toward the casino, though Deku is welcome to follow along with her if he wants! She kind of expects him to, honestly.]
Arisato-kun and I are part of a music show! You know, trying to use our bard skills to make friends and get information. Maria-san, that's our boss, she's really nice... it's not like it's Roland or something.
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Maria-san?
Is she the manager of this entire place?
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