Day Three

~BEGIN: DAY 3~
You are now Kazuma. SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUE!
... Okay, not really. You're not trapped in a room, you're not waiting for some armed recon robot, and you're not actually that Kazuma. Hell, you're not even Asian or whatever. You're a bog standard Canadian from Toronto. Okay, maybe not bog-standard; you were a pretty nerdly fellow then, all into your vidya games and your pencil and paper games and what have you.
Last night, a portal appeared and on no uncertain terms, your brain told you to grab your things because it's come to take you home. So you decided to take a good while, grab some Swiss army knives, some gold and silver people gave you on birthdays, a set of ten essentials, and left a note:
GON
BISY
BACKSON
And stepped out into a new world.
This was a bit of a shock, but you soon got over the green skies, especially with Mirit to help you get through the fact that anyone you spotted likely had some way to communicate with you. This helped in the next few hours, when you met the Huskies; it also helped when you traded a Swiss Army knife for several tools more useful to you at the moment, like a fishing line and hook. You managed to secure bait, and off a cliff- well, not so much a cliff, really, more a... Sort of overhang- you managed to pull up some strange fish the Server assured you wasn't poisonous.
You also ate the flowers and got a very similar message as Mirit did; you thought it was very odd because the flowers you remember from that game those common elements come from didn't seem to indicate anything of the sort from the flowers- at least when consumed by the Mimiga.
Whatever. Point is, you survived your first day, and have a few ideas of things to do on your second.
Today seems to be a lovely day. When you get a chance to check the server, you see Mirit's left you a message:
Hey, Kazuma, I may be late getting back to you. Gonna do some serious exploring tomorrow.
It's suspiciously quiet around your overhang, with that hair-raising feeling you sometimes get when you think someone's watching you but there's noone nearby.
You've been getting that a lot lately, but have yet to be ill-served by following up on it. You pick up your spear in one hand and head towards where you think someone might be watching you, pointing the spear towards the ground in what you hope is a non-agressive way; you tie your line to a handy bit of promontory... Or is it an old bush? Hard to tell, really.
Hm. The Huskies seemed sort of inquisitive compared to the kittypeople Mirit met. Maybe it's them again?
Looks like you've got a puppy, who gives you a wide-eyed stare before scampering off with... his? tail between his legs. There's barky-snorty sounds from nearby. Kids. Just kids.
Makes sense. You sort of shrug and go back to your line. Hm, a faint tuggy. Let's bring that in. YOu'll have enough for the day shortly... And the spear is straight enough that you bet you can go ahead and make a survey of the area with it.
Sure enough, you've got a monster of a fish at the end of the line. The area is pretty nice, actually, with beach stretching far around the lake or sea, and plenty of plants around too. The flowers, as noted, are everywhere, along with a kind of big bush with glossy leaves but a rather pungent scent.
Why couldn't you have gotten something like a plant field guide? You've tried scanning it but apparently you only ever get one freezie book, and the one you got on leylines earlier was it for you. Oh, well. It's proven an interesting read, especially with that etherics text you got from Mirit.
You haven't really tricked out your cave; and you traveled lighter than Mirit- one spare set of clothes, all that. You probably want to make a blanket soon, that vacuum blanket will only hold for so long. Hmmm. Maybe you can trade fish for it? You have a salad and some fish you baked in the banked flames overnight. Mmm, charred fish.
When you got some of it earlier it left your hand numb and tingly. It also stunk from where you bruised it.
A blanket would be a good idea, and the huskies seem to have a nice setup near their trees and dry-masonry proto-houses. You could probably get a blanket from one that's too lazy to catch their own breakfast if you hurry.
You go ahead and wrap the fresh fish in a shirt which you wet down in the lake to keep it fresh while you make the hike to the... Village? You're not sure if you'd call it that. You're also not sure if they're quietly having a laugh at you for living apart from them or something. Or maybe they're just grinnin' at the noob.
Either way, they seem curious about the feesh. It smells good, and there's at least one tongue hanging out of a mouth at the scent. They wait to see what you do, still grinning at you kinda smugly.
You sit next to the feesh and seem to be offering it up for trade, as well as another of the Swiss Army knives.
They're curious about it, and a couple of them bring out goods - one brings out a variety of plants you haven't encountered before, a couple bring various tools, and one takes a good long look at you and brings a bunch of cloth - one of which is pretty clearly a blanket.
Clothes wins, for now- you put up fish for blanket, though you take a closer look at the plants and the tools before trading your multitool.
Fish for blanket is accepted. The plants seem to be some herbs you recognize - they might be useful for the etherics, or just for flavoring your food. The tools include dowsing rods - looks like a child's old set - and the same sort of specialty stone knives and such that seem to be common to the world at large.
You're not as interested in the stone knives- the multitool is more generally useful, and the one you have has done you pretty well so far. But the etheric plants and dowsing rods catch the interest. Hm... You try and get as wide a selection of the plants as you can manage, figuring that once you've got them sketched out you can probably find them at your leisure.
The Huskie offering the herbs seems to think she's getting the better end of the deal here. The one with the dowsing rods seems to be seperate from her, however. There are at least seven varieties of herbs.
You try to get a small amount of all seven secret herbs and spices. Dowsing rods, from what you gather, aren't too difficult to construct, and those are too small for you anyway.
The trade is made! The kid from earlier stares at you from behind an older woman, and starts edging towards you.
You were about to stand up, but keep knelt down and wave at poor scared kid. Y helo thar.
The kid yipes, but comes up to you and pokes you in the chest after a minute.
There's chatter from the adults now, a little bleepy-bloopy, but not quite so much as the kittypeople.
You stay there for a moment, not going down but still selling the poke a little. You're not even quite sure how to react to that. But you're also sure not to be aggressive, either.
The kid giggles and runs off, apparently not scared anymore. You get a few approving looks, and the adults seem to ease up a little and chatter more.
In any case, you start cleaning up, having come to do business and not being able to talk to them anyway; after a bit of clean up, you stand and bow to them politely and wave good-by, picking up your things and leaving.
A few of them pick up on the guesture and wave back. Your walk back is uneventful and rather nice - the sun is shining, one of the moons is out, and the sky is all but cloudless. It feels like it's going to be a nice morning.
Oh man, now your paranoia is acting up again. You go ahead and get that blanket set up, and fold up your SPAAAAAAACE BLANKET! while you set up your lure outside. After all, you need lunch and dinner, especially if you're going to survey the area around you.
The monster fish you caught earlier seems like it should serve well for breakfast and lunch, but you will need dinner. Luckily, it's early enough the fish are still biting like crazy, and it doesn't take you long to lure in another fish.
You mean the one you already traded?
No, the one you caught this morning that you wrapped up in a shirt.
That's... The one you just traded. ._. Because it would be mean to trade a fish that wasn't fresh! In any case, you probably have more fish now. Even if they're all pieces of carp.
You do indeed have plenty of fish. You're also not sure why you were arguing with yourself about fish, and decide to forget all about that. In any case, it's only mid-morning now.
Well! Time to go do that thing you were thinking about, namely, a leyline survey. Now it says that you don't have a lot of the equipment you'd normally need, but you've managed to improvise some of it, and are starting to work on the rest. Not surprisingly, the first thing you wnat to do is make an isometric map of the area. This is a lot more difficult than you'd first imagined when you did trig stuff!
Still, you seem to be making at least some progress here. What equipment you can improvise seems to be enough to give you a very general idea of the ley of the land.
Oi. You didn't even say that pun to anyone, and it made you wince. Hm... Any lines, or heavens forfend, a Nexus nearby?
You do find a few lines, and they do seem to all be going in the same general direction. It's a bit far away though.
Not today, then. Hm... That probably took a few hours. Where's the sun, now?
It's just a bit after noon, now. Mirit said she'd be late getting back to you, but your stomach wants you to know it'd like lunch two hours ago.
Hm. Now you wonder exactly what she was up to. You go ahead and ping the server while you wait for your fish to finish cooking. Hm. Need salt. Definitely. Should go find some, soon...
It seems she is in fact on. Or at least left her computer connected to the server.
Mirit? Are you there? I'll be here for about half an hour.
After a few minutes, you get a response.
My hair. Is green. I don't mean died green, I mean green-to-the-roots green.
What.
Like... Seriously? Green? Are you sure?
Yes like seriously green, I look like my fucking Sram!!! Neon fucking green!
Wait, Sram?
Yeah. From Wakfu/Dofus. You ever play that?
Yeah, I believe so, but I only know one person going by handle Mirit who runs a Sram.
You swear you can hear the gears grinding in Mirit's head.
Sakamotokazuma?
... It is you. What the fuck!?
Seriously, are we going to run into Halbot next? Jesusfuck. Well at least I know you're actually friendly.
Aw, man, it was in doubt?
Oh I dunno I walked through a portal into a strange world, the second day I'm there I see someone else accessing a previously deserted network... Totally not suspicious at all, nope.
Okay, yeah, you might have deserved that.
Well, it's either Halbat or sakamotosue and I am not interested in learning my girlfriend made the leap.
Pft, what, aren't you gonna miss her?
After that fight, not really. She can stay in Alberta for all I care...
Ouch. Sorry to hear about that. I texted Hal before I left but I dunno if he got it.
I'll admit, I was more interested in mailing my regular gaming group then than her- It's about the only thing I regret so far. People should not have to learn this shit second hand.
Eh. You know how I feel about the group - fuck, I'm surprised you didn't recognize me from my Cave Story snark.
I was busy trying to set up, honestly.
What with bouncing between setting up camp and answering messages as they arrived, you didn't quite connect the dots as well as you should have.
Yeah. Setting up was a little more important. Just a little.
You seriously get a vibe from that game around here? I think I might be willing to listen and not >8| about it now.
A little bit, but the Huskies don't look like any of the Twelve; It's like... A sort of Conflux. Which only points more and more to this being the Scorched Lands...
True. Also I'm pretty sure I told you that yesterday. Still, having the robots? And wasn't the setting some kind of flying island...?
Oh. Thought you were talking about Wakfu/Dofus. Yeah, it was. It was over some version of Earth, as far as I could tell... But we don't know if such a place exists. Unless it's CENTRAL CORE.
Yesterday I told you 'welcome to the blasted lands' :P
And it could be. Since it's CENTRAL CORE and not a series of numbers and letters like the rest of them are.
One moment.
You look at the numbers and letters of your server, and the ones you're pretty sure are nearest to you. Is this a co-ordinate system!?
It sure looks like it. Maybe you'd better check and see if the pattern holds true for Mirit too.
Mirit- could you ping the servers around you and find the ones with the shortest latency, and report their numbers to me, please?
... Bweh?
English please.
I want you to ping the servers with the number series closest to your own, and tell me the ones with the shortest ping time.
Oh. Yeah, give me a sec...
Mirit is sending a text file now. Opening it reveals it's both the servers she caught active over the past few times she's checked, as well as the information he requested.
Hm. Actually, I think you were very much on to something- I thought it may have been a co-ordinate system, but if these latencies are anything to go by in terms of time/distance I am pretty sure they are actually an entire system of co-ordinates. Which makes CENTRAL CORE either an undisclosed location... Or a location so obvious or so mutable as to make a coordinate assignation useless.
Heh. So we should keep a close eye on the ones close to us - anyone pinging in from there is close enough to worry about.
I guess I should keep an eye out for flying landmasses on top of the moons and the planets, huh?
Oh, you were keeping track of the moons, too? I was hoping to find when their next... I suppose the closest term is Conjunction- when they're both the same phase- is. I'm not sure if they have the same period.
From what I've seen so far they don't, but I've only had two nights so I'm not 100% sure yet. I'm pretty sure I've spotted three other planets so far - assuming they're not just unusually close stars. I'm making the moon chart though, so if I can figure it out I'll share.
I was just going to count days of each moon until they came back around to original position, but that works too. Hm. Other planets... I should make a telescope and see what they're like. We may have neighbors in that sense as well.
That'd be neat. I think I've found some landmarks now to help me find my way around. Got some charcoal to mark on stuff too, I think I may try heading for that Nexus - now that we know about the coordinates, it looks like it's right on the way to the next server.
Hm. Be safe.
Will do. You gonna be alright on your own?
I believe so. In any case, it's not like I have much choice but to toughen up and deal for now.
Yeah. Same. I'll catch you later then.
*CLIENT DISCONNECTED*
You consider the new information while you go ahead and pack up to get out for a little longer. She'll probably be asleep. The chance, infinitesimal though it might be, to actually see her in person is a little exciting. It's like when you go to local cons hoping to spot familiar screen named.
In the meantime, though, there is survival to be had, and people to talk to, and a world to explore.
The area you've found yourself in isn't quite perfectly ringed with mountains and cliffs surrounding what you can see of the island or bay you're on. It's a pretty nice area, mostly open grassland with frequent single trees and few infrequent thickets. The mountains are even gentle, more like foothills than true mountains. There's one pass through that you can see, though there may be more.
Bets that's where the leyline is going? You don't want to check it just now, instead looking around where you are. Hm. You know, if this is the Scorched Lands, it's pretty peaceful.
... Aw, damn it you did not just think that like a fucking moron. You facepalm.
You also hear a rumble.
Oooof course. You turn to look at it. Might as well, not like there's any way he's going to be able to run from the damn thing.
It's out in the water, and you see waves coming from quite far out. A krek breeches, calling out into the sky and shaking itself vigorously. The monster is halfway betwen cthulu and a kraken, but generally pretty peaceful as long as one isn't stupid enough to provoke it. It was probably napping under the water this whole time.
... Okay, who was stupid enough to poke that thing and how soon can you kill that dude? You have to be terminally dense to want to take it on... Unless it's just moving.
It looks like it's just moving. A massive rock is picked up from under the water - the waves are getting crazy now - and shoved to stand up. The krek shoves at it until it stays upright, then curls up around it, beady eyes watching the shore as the water settles and almost covers it again.
You have got to be kidding. Why the hell is something like that watching the shore?
Oh, fuck. THE SERVER! You start to run down to check on its condition. Luckily you've been traveling pretty light, so your lappy and all your stuff is with you.
The server is inches beyond the waterline. The krek makes an unhappy grumbly-noise at you as you approach the server, though.
Why does it have a problem with the server? That makes no sense. Or is it annoyed at you for accessing it? You're not sure. All the same, you keep an eye on it. If it hucks that thing, you might have time to get out of the way.
It shifts the rock around more and the server platform pings at you - which seems to settle the krek, as it dives back underwater.
Wait, did the signal get stronger? And is there something on top of that rock?
You open your laptop and unlock it to see what the hell it is pinging you about.
One - the signal is that much stronger.
Two - someone is now doing an activity check given the sudden increase in server activity in locales where that's unexpected. It's confirming that this is an actual person and not a server error.
Are you the administrator of this network, Mr/Ms. Krek?
The local network, yes.
... Okay.
Ah. I apologize, should I have gotten permission before using the server? I came through via portal a few days ago...
No, no, you're fine. The amplifier was down and the echos were getting annoying. Besides which, if you came through a portal, you wouldn't have known. You should contact Central Core and let them know that you've arrived.
Huh. That's news.
I'll try that, then. Thank you.
You've a little trepidation at contacting CENTRAL CORE, but if it was as helpful as the... Krek admin and you cannot- believe- you are saying that- it... Can't be all that bad, right?
You can but hope! Who knows, maybe there's more people there and you can meet up with Mirit sooner.
Not a problem. You let me know if you need any more help.
You go ahead and set up another instance of your client. Your lappy has memory to spare, really- it was kind of a gaming rig before and now all it's running are pdfs and text clients.
*CONNECTING TO CENTRAL CORE...*
A screen pops up!
WELCOME TO CENTRAL CORE.
CONFIRM YOUR LOCATION?
FIND GROUP?
JOB BOARD?
CONTACT LOCAL ADMIN?
CONTACT GLOBAL ADMIN?
REQUEST PICKUP?
Of course it wouldn't be that easy.
You go ahead and confirm your location. Maybe it'll get you a map, which you... Kinda need. You're not about to contact the global admin, and you're not about to pug about looking for group.
You check what that JOB BOARD thing is all about while you're at it.
Confirming your location does indeed net you a map! With a neat google earth style globe, but it quickly locks to your local area, and requests a name to attach to it.
The JOB BOARD is just that, listing various tasks that need doing, again locked to your location and the surrounding servers. It's mostly 'go to this location and make/confirm a report on the status' type jobs. Some are marked URGENT! and request assistance, though.
You think for a moment. You have almost no experience with combat, and really aren't skinned for it. You have a doctor's manual, but that's pretty out-of-date.
After a long moment, you mark the server "ENTRY POINT- NEAR HUSKIES" and leave it at that; you look over the local jobs... Hm. Maybe there's a way to figure out how to talk to people in their language?
A little fiddling around does reveal some sort of language quest.
Wh- "Oh COME ON." You check it. Might as well, really.
Yep! Seems like CENTRAL CORE is helpful. Up in the mountains is someone who could use some supplies from the village, and is willing to teach newcomers the local language in return for some running around.
"... A gofer newbie quest? Really? Really." Siiiiigh, might as well go see what he wants...
The directions are pretty easy, and you find the place quickly. There's a much older huskie up there, living in a nice little house that's slightly more modern than the ones down in the village.
"Hello?"
"Well hello there! What can I do for you?" He grins. His speech is a little accented, but understandable.
"Ah, right now you can speak English- most of my contact that's been understandable has been through my Lappy. More importantly, I'm here about the gofer job?"
He chuckles. "I pick up on what I need to. These ol' knees ain't what they used t'be. I've got a list here. Once you've got everything I'll treat you to dinner and help you learn the language." He offers you the list!
You look the list over. HMMMMM. What's here?
Seems pretty simple. It's mostly some herbs that would be hard for the old guy to get, and some more exotic things like some kind of weird rock. There's a scratchy drawing of each so you know what you're looking for.
Shouldn't be too hard... In fact, don't you have all the herbs in the area already? How much does he need?
You do! He doesn't need much, just one or two of each. That leaves you with plenty.
Okay, that just leaves this... Rock. Hm. Actually you're going to go ahead an look around. What would be the best place for this... As a leyline walker- though how you're coming up with THAT name all of a sudden, what, are you going to start giving yourself titles now or something? Don't be stupid- you should be able to tell a little bit from the lay of the land where the best place would be just by that iso and the map on your lappy.
It seems what he's looking for is a geode, preferably one that isn't open yet. That shouldn't be too hard to find.
Nope, not hard at all, really. Not surprising, given this is supposed to be some kind of newbie quest. Hm. In fact, it's not hard to find at all. But if there are urgent assistance jobs... And you have some time before sundown... You go ahead and practice what ineffective tai chi you know. It probably won't help much, but... if it helps to focus leyline force, it might, conceivably, be sort of useful some time. Maybe.
It takes a little while, but you find you probably don't need some of the divining equipment now. You'll have to practice holding onto it though, because it fades almost as soon as you stop.
Wait, that actually WORKED!? You'll have to ask the old man about that. That's... Actually pretty freaky.
You have a feeling that someone, somewhere, is laughing at your surprise.
In any case, it doesn't take you very long to gather up what he wants once you're done practicing.
So you take the stuff back to the old man; you're not sure why he wants an unbroken geode, exactly, but you're not about to argue.
"Ah, thank you, young man!" He grins happily and motions you inside the house. Apparently he meant it about treating you to dinner, something smells delicious.
This is the first time you've been in a house for two days; you look around, wondering what's different about this place from a normal place back home. Other than, you know, being out in the foothills. That's kind of important. Does he have power? Is power all on transmission here? What about the fire? What kind of stuff does he have on his walls? in his kitchen? In the parlor? Oooh, look at that fancy thing!
He seems amused by your curiosity and lets you look around. It does look like the power's transmitted, though it's not nearly as high-tech as back home - just lights and running water it seems. His fire's set in a simple stone fireplace, with a frying pan balanced over it on a grating. He has some scratchy diagrams and a bookshelf, a table with stools, and a raised, cushioned bench. The fancy thing is... a massive geode that was broken to make a chair/display table! It's freaking gorgeous, and it almost looks like the house was built around it.
You look at the geode for a long moment, moving your arms around like you're washing tiles, trying to emulate the feel you got out of doing the tai chi... Oh, you've heard all the old New Age bullshit about crystals, but maybe it's true here? Not like it's a hard test.
You can feel... something coming off of it. One of the leylines runs right through it!
The huskie is watching you carefully now.
"... Huh." You look at the stone as you feel the faint sparks. "That's interesting."
"Isn't it? Very useful for learning. You'll see. That's what you need the little geode for."
"Actually, I'm a little surprised- back home, Tai chi is... Kind of a waste; it's a completely ineffective style. Well, for fighting anyway. It's got good health benefits." You sit at the table, not trying to activate it this time.
"Tai chi is it? It's a good way to connect to the various networks around. You'll need to master your etherics or leylining first, though." The herbs are used to finish up dinner, and then it's served! No fine china, and it's not fancy, but it is pretty damn good.
At least it's a damn sight better than your hastily roasted fish. You go at it with some gusto.
He chuckles at that, eating almost as quickly. OM. NOM. NOM.
HOMF NOMF HOMF Indeed! Though you do pause to ask- "I take it etherics and leyline-walking are common skills?"
"I wouldn't call them common, but it shows up by those called by the servers often enough I can use it as a teaching tool."
"Called?" And then another question comes to you- "How did you- Oh, right, you posted it to central core, and only someone who can connect to a server can actually take the job... That and English."
"Exactly." He nods. "You're catching on quick. I wouldn't know about the calling, can't feel it myself. I just know it happens. As for that, well, that's what the Chair's for."
"... Usually things back home refferred to as merely 'The Chair' are generally not considered 'good things'," you jibe. Still, better to see how this will work...
"Heh. You'll be fine." He motions you towards it when you finish.
You go ahead and sit in the aforementioned Chair.
You feel the sparkiness now, even without concentrating. It's not unpleasant, just a bit tingly. The old huskie sits on the bench across from you. "Alright. Close your eyes and listen."
You do so, concentrating on each word as it's said; you nod at the old man to begin.
He begins speaking, and your find yourself in a trance. Hours later you come out of it, now able to speak the local lingo.
QUEST REWARDS:
Linguistics
Etherics increase 1 level
Leyline Skill increase 1 Level
Combat Specialty Unlocked...
"< ... Wow. That feels kind of... Strange.>" It's after dark outside already. Should you make your way back to your server?
"<Interesting though! Would you care to spend the night, young man?>"
"<I think I'd better, actually...>"
"<Very well. You may use the bench. It should be sufficiently comfortable for you.>"
"<Thank you. Ah... If I'm to be traveling, I need to learn to defend myself- would you know anything about how to do that?>" You think of something else. "<Aside from the strange resleeve option or whatever on the servers.>"
He nods. "<If you can spare a day out of every three, I can teach you. These old bones aren't what they used to be, but I can get you started.>"
"<I can manage that pretty easily- though I'll have to stay in the area- may I come by more often?>"
"<You may, that's just the minimum amount of time you'll need to commit.>"
"<I'll do that then- I think the faster I'm competent in SOMETHING, the faster I can explore without worrying.>"
He chuckles. "<That's about the size of it, yes.>"
"<... What do you teach, if I might ask?>"
"<It's similar to your Tai Chi, but a bit more effective.>"
"..." You GRIN. "<You teach kung fu? Oh, man.>" This is gonna be SWEEEEEET~ Probably also painful but you don't care.
~END: DAY 3~