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Post by flightlessicarus on Feb 21, 2020 21:48:44 GMT -8
Not too long ago, a mysterious planet appeared in the same solar system as Starter Planet. To those that had appeared with it, it is known as the Land of DownLoadable Content and Challenges. Unlike the Lands found in the Medium, this one appears to be much larger, the size of an earthlike planet, and contains countless regions the size of small countries, each with their own themes, consorts, questlines, and denizens. This is one such region upon this land. Welcome to the Region of Parties and Boardgames.  To those who have played any version of Mario Party before, this region would seem oddly similar, as its operations revolve around life-size boardgames which are hosted by a mysterious figure that many assume is the denizen, though most do not know anything about them aside from their stage appearance. In public however, the host of these games is refered to as "The Boardmaster".  The consorts of this particular region of the land are the mushroom people. Their entire job market and economy is determined by the success of these boardgames. In this region's constructed "history", it is said that they had painstakingly built the boards into their towns, cities, and vacation getaways, all at the request of The Boardmaster. One must wonder what they think of this enigmatic figure at the center of their lives... 
 Rise paces outside town hall in Fungi city, wearing an outfit they had recently alchemized for the occasion. A denim overall skirt with a red longsleeve and a red hat with an infinity symbol on the front. Very Mario-like, but with a personal flair. Rise stands at six feet tall, and is somewhat skinny. A glance down the street, and it seems they see someone that isn't a mushroom person, for once. Is this the challenger that Thoren had told them about before? |
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ApocFox
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A real atom bomb, baby
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Post by ApocFox on Feb 22, 2020 14:07:04 GMT -8
Dimension hopping. What a concept. The arcane apocalypse called the Moon Fall was just full of surprises. Not that technology that combined science and sorcery wasn't in the works before the world got wrecked, however. On Earth the supernatural was a sketchy thing since the modern era. Even when people lost faith in the old gods and even modern ones, venerating science and the comforts it brought, the supernatural seemed to spike since the first nukes were deployed. Despite the gonzo adventures Dana had experienced in her two years since her exodus from a peaceful life in the Great Forest, dimension hopping was still a new concept. Not that it didn't exist. The Multiverse was a concept conceived long before the Moon Fall, and meeting a mystical martial artist from an archaic, fantastical world thrust into her own only cemented its existence. Even revered in her local tech cult as a low-rank acolyte, Dana hadn't had clearance to witness the device used to shunt the lion-monk back home. But now, that same device had dropped her off in this new realm. The higher-ups in the cult were baffled to see how accurate the coordinates and other info Thoren offered were. She might've opened a can of worms without knowing it. It'd been only weeks since she became aware of a workaround to access social media across the Multiverse. Came off as some real Rick and Morty stuff to her, but the upgrade to her datapad (formerly a salvaged smartphone) worked wonders. Only then could she communicate with the monk, Raziya, across the realms. And as friends-of-friends tend to go on social media, it wasn't long before Dana learned of Thoren and their plight. The vixen wanted to buy time for them to finish their new body. That's how she spun it anyway, and there was truth to that. She's known to kick asses for her own sake, but readily fights both life and death to save a friend. Being cis her whole life, Dana couldn't quite grasp what it meant to be another gender identity till she met Raziya, a "maned lioness". The closest thing prior to the transgirl was a rival tech cultist named Elaine, whose form of genetics-altering HRT literally made her a dragon. Despite this, even if she couldn't grasp one's body not fitting their psyche, she knew it had to suck. She couldn't imagine not being a fox-girl, and being stripped of her identity or forced into a bastardized version would've been awful. As much as she didn't care to admit it, there was an ulterior motive. Dana had become a thrill seeker. So even when warned of dangerous games in this otherworldly region by Thoren, the vixen was eager to rise to the challenge against well, Rise. Self-serving altruism was still altruism, especially when the thrill-seeking was just a perk to helping a new friend. Besides, this mushroom-themed land was a lot more bright, colorful and quirky than the overgrown wasteland and burned-out ruins Dana had come to know on her Earth... even if the primer on its currency implied trouble beneath the surface.
Thus padding her way to Rise, primed with the caffeine from homemade cola, Dana the Apocalypse Fox stopped a few paces away from Rise, greeting them with a simple...  |
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Post by flightlessicarus on Feb 22, 2020 14:32:54 GMT -8
Rise walks over to the luigi-clad vixen with a smug expression on their face.
"So I see you dressed for the occasion."
They extend their hand out for a handshake.
"The name's Rise. Rise Emit. I take it you're the challenger my sibling mentioned?"
Rise seems to have an intense vibe about them, despite their calm disposition.
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Feb 22, 2020 15:18:48 GMT -8
A glance at Rise's expression caused Dana to return the cocky smirk. Oh yeah, she thought, totally related to Thoren but with a style all their own. Seemed the both of them were cut from a similar cloth. Shaking hands as she'd been taught, the wiry fox gave a firm grasp and kept eye contact.
"Damn straight about the hat", Dana replied, "And damn straight about being the challenger". From all the time wasted (and scorn attained) with emulators and ROMs on the tech cult's computers, how could she not know the Super Mario franchise? Came in handy when working Nintendo consoles were a rare and lauded relic.
"So yeah, you're Rise", she replied, breaking the handshake. "Nice to meetcha. Name's Dana. New to the Multiverse, I guess. The tech cult that sent me still thinks I'm doing this as a pioneer run; shhh!" A fangly grin and a wink of pine-green eyes, and her hands went akimbo. "Dunno if my blaster's allowed, or if I had to run it through customs first. I won't be spraying hot plasma unless needed. Take that as y'will".
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Post by flightlessicarus on Feb 22, 2020 19:42:22 GMT -8
Rise shakes with a firm grip, though clearly seems to be holding back greater strength. There's a bit of a subtle intimidation factor, at least for those unprepared.
They appear satisfied with Dana's professional handshake.
"Pleasure to meet you."
They listen to her spiel. New to dimension hopping apparently. then again, Rise has never personally left paradox space. Always had an excuse to stay put, especially with their previous "obligation" to watch over the Wheel of Time for this universe. It seems quite impressive that somebody would travel across the dimensional divide just to partake in a live action board game. Perhaps she has her reasons.
As for the blasters?
"Weapons tend to be unneeded during the boardgames, but knowing a denizen runs this region is enough to be on edge, in my opinion. Denizens tend to send underlings to attack the players, at least in the base game."
Rise still has their extensive scythe collection stored in their strife deck, with their Identity Disc frisbee slash-launcher at the ready.
"Just don't shoot the mushroom people and you should be in the clear."
A moment passes, and they remember something.
"Ah yes, I almost forgot. As a guest player, you'll need to get registered to play the games here. It shouldn't take too much, just some short paperwork and a signature on the dotted line. Basic legal shit. They do that over here at town hall."
Rise gestures at the large mush-building behind them.
"Shall we get moving?"
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Feb 23, 2020 20:15:48 GMT -8
Hearing them explain the nature of weapon use, Dana blinked briefly. Talk of a 'denizen' confirmed her suspicions, but it wasn't much info to go off of. Might not be anything she nor they could handle, even together. The vixen shrugged, "Right, don't make soup of the shrooms and watch out for an entity's goons. Good to know". The energy weapon's grip poked from the flap of her belt pouch, an apparent holster for the slate-and-black material. A keychain dangled from the butt of it, depicting a cartoony fox's face.
Pine eyes glanced toward the Town Hall idly, reflecting yellow-green from under the brim of the Luigi cap. Against Thoren's advice she brought some cheap salvage to synthesize into grist, if only to help blend into the locale. When In Rome, or however that pre-fall adage went. "Getting registered, huh? Makes sense that some faction loves their lists. Yeah, let's get this over with". Already beginning to stroll toward the building they motioned to she adds, "So hey. Thoren did gimme a primer to the ROPAB. I adapt to the unknown, but a l'il advice goes a long way".
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Post by flightlessicarus on Feb 23, 2020 22:45:26 GMT -8
Rise matches her pace quite easily, wasting no time in joining her towards town hall.
They nod, and then add their own bit as they make haste to the double doors.
"Adaptability will be your greatest asset out here. This region's challenges are somewhat athletic in nature, despite their whimsical front."
They push open the doors and enter the building.
"Every region upon this land has what's known as a Primary Aspect, the one for this region being Life. Probably won't be all that directly important, but it might be worth remembering when trying to connect dots later in the questline."
A mushroom with a button cap sits behind the desk at the other end of the spacious lobby. They have a pair of glasses on that seem to be there entirely for aesthetic reasons. There aren't very many others in the town hall today. Rise walks up to the desk, waiting momentarily for Dana to follow
The secretary looks up from their sudoku book, having filled most of the squares already. They must not get very much business here usually.
"Huh, somebody's actually here. What business do you have today?"
"New player registration," Rise gestures to Dana.
The secretary shoves the sudoku puzzle to the side and reaches for the keyboard and mouse not too far away at their desk.
"Hm, new player, that's somethin' you don't see every day. What's your name?" They prepare to start typing.
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Feb 24, 2020 5:25:54 GMT -8
Seems that Rise was no slouch! Not that Dana expected them to be, and a brief thought came to mind as they made their way to the doors. If related to Thoren in their interesting way -- apparently a clone or alt timeline or something, she wasn't sure? -- just what was Rise capable of? The social media messages implied that it was a narrow win for Thoren the last time they played. Despite being blessed by her lucky stars, Dana was still a mere mortal. Her ability to be off the mend faster than a human wouldn't matter if she got maimed or worse.
But like the Goonies, Dana was never one to say die. Not unless she was cussing up a storm and telling her enemies to. Even if not a strong fox, she was sure as sugar a fast one, and tough to boot. Keeping quiet and taking in the know-how spoken by Rise, she committed the bits and pieces to memory. Aspect of Life. Useful for a quest maybe. Got it.
Nodding to the mushroom-person before her, of whom she was sure was borne of common mushrooms for meals, Dana spoke up. "Name's Dana. Dana Marie Cooper". She was tempted to answer 'Dana Marie Omnivora Fiona-Lynn Cooper', but for legal reasons it wasn't sound. Not even for another dimension, not even for fun, and not even as a throwback to more innocent times. "What else needs to be registered? Just gimme the Sparkno--" Right, people barely knew what Sparknotes used to be back home in her timeline. "Uh, just the gist".
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Post by flightlessicarus on Feb 24, 2020 11:12:23 GMT -8
The secretary notes this down, typing at an expert speed.
"Mmmhmm. We won't need too much aside from that. We'll need a screen-name, a formal title, an associated color, handedness, shoe size, any outstanding allergies, and primary weapon proficiencies. This information will make it easier for accommodations to be made during the boardgames."
Rise just stands there and waits.
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Feb 24, 2020 16:18:44 GMT -8
Dana nods, thinking quick with the first three answers. "Easy enough. Let's see... screen name: 'PlazVix'. Formal title: Apocalypse Fox. Handedness: right". For a moment she has to think on shoe size. Not that her foot-paws were always unshod, especially during colder seasons and unpleasant terrain, but she wasn't quite sure about the exact size. Tens gave her space, nines felt too restrictive, so that meant... "Uh. Shoe size: nine-and-a-half? Allergies?"
She wanted to make a joke from an old cartoon about Hawaii and aliens that she was allergic to plasma, but didn't think it'd be well-received. Besides, it'd also mean using her heirloom weapon got her sick all the time. "No known allergies. Primary weapons: energy pistols and knives". She shrugs to Rise. "Easy!"
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Post by flightlessicarus on Feb 24, 2020 20:29:51 GMT -8
The secretary types those answers in without a sweat. "Nice nice. That should handle the forms. Now all you have to do is sign this agreement right here to continue."
They hand over a slightly longer than average piece of paper, covered in fine-print legalese.
The gist of it basically covers and personal damages and injuries that may happen as a result of the boardgames and/or the minigames apart of them, while also protecting the regional government form any sort of legal action taken against them for such incidents that may occur.
There is also an optional section below the standard safety section regarding an option to sign away your soul to be sent to the dreambubbles of the furthest ring in the case of death, though it is emphasized to be an entirely optional offer which need not be accepted to proceed with the boardgames.
"They made that shit optional for guest players?" Rise glances over at that section.
The secretary hands Dana a feather pen to sign with, inkwell not too far away.
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Feb 25, 2020 2:55:16 GMT -8
Listening in, the words mostly went into one ear with Dana and out the other. Mostly. Whatever was said about giving away one's soul for revival, the vixen paid attention and visibly shuddered. Even if optional for guest members, the concept of offering herself on that level for any reason unnerved her. "Uh. Yeah. Lucky me". Specifically opting out on that she took the quill and, after comparing the feather to those hanging from her earring, scrawled her name across the signature lines. The handwriting wasn't great, barely legible as 'D-Cooper'.
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Post by flightlessicarus on Feb 25, 2020 7:25:05 GMT -8
The featherpen's feather is an earthy brown, with a slight value gradient to it.
With the main bit signed, the secretary accepts the signed agreement.
"Congratulations, welcome to the boardgames. Here is a sylladex you can use while here." The secretary hands over a series of thick cards with square notches on the corner. It comes with five cards.
"You may use this to store items and access punchcard alchemy facilities. Do remember that the captchalogued item in a captchalogue card will be irretrievable if damaged, at which point alchemizing another copy from a code will be the only option to get it back. Ask your game partner if you have any other questions about using it."
You can practically visualize an organized inventory system while holding these cards.
The term "array" comes to mind.
Rise chips in on cue.
"Yeah, I can tell you about how to use that later. You'll need it for the alchemy system, but that won't get important until later."
The secretary resumes explaining.
"When you are ready to begin playing, go to the bus stop in the square and the bus driver will take you both to the board of your choosing. When you accumulate funds later, you can access the alchemy center and visit the many shops downtown. Players are given free room and board at the hotel just down the street. They'll know you when they see you."
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Feb 26, 2020 0:11:21 GMT -8
Thinking on the feather, it seems almost like a falcon's colors. Maybe an owl? Either way, pretty!
Obtaining the five-card sylladex and getting a primer on its use, Dana is surprised on its intriguing effects. She hadn't paid attention to seeing her scrap be turned to grist; she was more concerned with customizing a Luigi-style hat to do so. Hearing the bits about a damaged card preventing the retrieval of the item within, the vixen blinks and grits her fangs. No way was she putting Greased Lightning, her signature plasma pistol, into one of these things!
Giving a nod to the secretary she responds to Rise, "Alright, done and done! Free room and board is great and all, but I'm raring to play. There'll be time to crash on a halfway decent bed later". Did the secretary mention how many boards there were, or what each one was like? Denying her impulse to ask information, she didn't want to come off as hesitant or an unworthy challenger. "Y'know what? I'm a guest here. Rise, surprise me on the board. I'm a quick learner, and learn best from example!"
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Post by flightlessicarus on Feb 26, 2020 1:06:38 GMT -8
Rise thinks for a moment. The [ ERROR ] board seems too treacherous for someone new to the game, the dream board is a bit too macabre for the occasion, and the space board... let's just say that's a particularly high-level board.
That leaves one known board in particular to travel to.
"Alright then. Let's get to that shuttle. I've got an idea of which board we should hit up."
And with that, Rise leads the way to the bus stop, right out the door and down the road towards the square.
Though it has only been a few minutes since Rise and Dana have met, it seems almost as if many days have passed.
In truth, they have, but not in this region.
Rise still holds the Wheel of Time in their back pocket. They don't plan on cheating with it, but local time sure ain't gonna be the same as it is outside, that's for sure.
Soon enough, they arrive at the bus stop. The bus is parked in front of the stop, doors open. The bus driver is asleep in their seat.
One's gotta wonder how long they've been napping there.
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