beta testing 0.2: quest update

[gamedevs]

beta testing 0.2

BETA NOTE: This log is being used for Duocaeli’s Tutorial & Dungeon Beta Testing. Please note that some game features are limited and will be noted in this format on pages, and an invitation is still required to play. Thank you and have fun!

Patch Update

Maybe you’ve been getting settled in for a little while now, maybe you just arrived yesterday. Hopefully you’ve been able to adjust to your surroundings, since it seems like some big changes are coming. All Dodo residents will receive a Duocaeli notification on their phones:

> 0.2 Expansion has arrived! Server capacity has increased. New locations await you, worldwalkers.
> New quests can be accepted in Windhaven Woods, Aria's Grove, Dandelion Fields!

At the exact same time, completely coincidentally, a city-wide broadcast is sent directly to characters inboxes:

> Thank you for your patience with our construction, city-goers! As our Pride Parade goes underway, we are proud to share the grand re-opening of many venues throughout the city. Love is love!

Those who wander to the Divination Tower in Domus Hosus, whether on purpose or because the stairs guide you there, will see that both of these broadcasts are proudly displayed amidst the glimmering gems. If you try to read your fate in the stars, they will delightedly provide you with a prophecy. However each prophecy comes in images, beckoning you to a new location with… a certain someone! Immediately after receiving this prophecy, you will feel naturally compelled to find that individual, stranger or friend, and affirm your fate. Maybe you'll end up going somewhere out of your depth? At least you won't be alone!

> 1. Questboard

The quest board at the guild hub has been updated with the latest patch! Excited players are gathered around to collect new bounties, which are open to all. The guild hub also provides a useful bestiary, which is readily accessible by guild members via crystals.

A. SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE
Avisle University has requested assistance in collecting Blue Chamomile from the northern part of Windhaven Woodlands for study. These flowers are known to aid sleep and have some rejuvenating properties as well, if taken as a tea. They are best harvested in pairs as they feed off positive energy—once their petals start glowing, the plant is ready to be plucked. You’ll have to make your quest partner laugh, or pay them a genuine compliment that makes them smile. You can also share your dreams for the future, or a good memory. The plants also enjoy music! Even the most tone-deaf of vocalists are appreciated by these chamomiles.

Additionally, these flowers are HUGE fans of PDA. If your characters hold hands, or hug, or k-kiss... it may seem like they are slowly turning their petals towards you...

As noted on the Locations page, it would be wise to remember that Windhaven Woodlands can be quite confusing to navigate. The trees like to stretch their roots multiple times a day, often altering paths that characters have taken. At times branches will weave themselves together so tightly, it blocks out most sunlight. It’s very possible to get lost here, but those with keen navigation skills will notice that the wind always seems to flow in the direction of Avisle at the beginning and middle of the hour, like clockwork.

REWARD: A sachet of Blue Chamomile tea, made with some of the petals you helped harvest. If you take it before you sleep, you will find yourself waking up fully refreshed the next morning whether in the ON or OFF world. You may even find yourself briefly dreaming of the good memory that your quest partner shared with you!

FAILURE: You will grow flowers on your body that cannot be removed, purely cosmetic. Lasts until you log off the server.

B. 'TIL DEATH DO US PART
Rumor has it that there's a malevolent spirit haunting Aria's Grove, one with particularly sticky fingers, that's been stealing items from sleeping travelers–as well as dreams. Those with their dreams stolen will feel an almost unshakable malaise and melancholy. The Wanderer's Guild is looking for adventurers to locate and dispel this spirit for good, as it's the only way to retrieve lost items (and dreams).

Whoever manages to navigate the woods to Aria's Grove will find not a spirit, but a small, crystalline golem made from broken shards. It speaks in a soft, tinkering voice, saying, "My love, my love." It's unable to do much damage, but it's fast and evokes a sensation of grief and despair in whoever draws close to it. Adventurers may recognize this as a gemwalker, and know that the only way to free the ghost trapped inside is to break the crystal form.

Upon doing so, they'll find a watch that was encased in the crystal, with a name etched into the back. Regardless of how much they ask around, they'll be unable to find anyone by that name.

REWARD: A special compass from the Wanderer's Guild. It can be set to always point toward a location of the owner's choosing.

C. A HARE-OWING CAT-ASTROPHE
In the Avisle town square, festivities are abound; red and gilded gold streamers stretch across the plaza, rabbits hop along, eager to be held, cats preen on unlikely perches, and the guilds have plenty of free food and drink out to be enjoyed—as well as a limited-time bounty being offered for the new year! Help out and earn yourself a reward.

• Bake goods for guests, who are notoriously harsh. Sometimes recipes here will lead you astray.
  
• Mix or taste-test some drinks... which only seem to exacerbate your elemental symptoms (see prompt 3. ELEMENTAL ECCENTRICITY below for details).
  
• Deal with jealous tiger monsters that set fire to various stands and attack festival-goers. They can be fought (NPC rabbits will help), but also seem intelligent, and can be bribed to depart with treats, brushing their (sometimes flaming hot) fur, or other offerings. These creatures don't seem to be native to Avisle; if you follow one outside of the city, they'll fly right off the edge of the island...
  
• Like above, attacking the rabbits in any way or causing problems will get you mobbed by knife-wielding bunnies with 9999HP.

REWARD: Free food, daiya, and a good time!

Though from there... it looks like there's a few additions that must be completed in the OFF world?

D. H҉A҉P҉P҉Y҉ HOPPIN’ NEW YEAR
Red envelopes need to be distributed to the students of Gruidae University in celebration of the Lunar New Year! (Our usual guy, Jimmy, is out sick…) In the spirit of the Year of the Rabbit, volunteers will be asked to wear a tasteful (or ridiculous) set of bunny ears and a soft, poofy bunny tail while on the job. Just make sure to avoid the BPL (Bunny Protection League) activists lurking among the student body, they take their duties seriously and will attempt to divest you of your bunny appendages if caught.

REWARD: A red envelope (the amount can be anywhere between $20 to 23 cents) and coupon to the newly opened bunny cafe located at the mall. You will also receive a cute bunny ear accessory in your ON World inbox.

FAILURE: A forced viewing of the documentary, Bunnies Are Human Too, while surrounded by passionate BPL members.

E: BIRD M҉E҉A҉S҉U҉R҉I҉N҉G҉ CONTEST
As an icebreaker, Dodo is hosting competitions in the Training Hall! Get to know your new housemates by having an impromptu battle. This doesn’t have to be combat-related or any sort of traditional duel: you can challenge your partner to lifting weights, a dance-off, even Twister and other board games. There will also be gaming consoles and seating in various corners—FATALITY!

REWARDS: Bragging rights! Dodo will also send a little spa set/gift package to the winner’s room, which includes bird-themed face masks. Also, the winner will be able to stay in the OFF world for up to 5 days (one time), rather than 3.

FAILURE: Public humiliation.

Conveniently, non-PC players can't seem to see these last two bounties at all. Oh well—get to questing!

> 2. Okay get a job?

Sometime while you’re minding your business, you’ll be interrupted by a neat little beep beep! On the screen of your phone:

☑️ Go to Your Internship in Crane City

Tapping the prompt will bring up the Maps app and directions to what is apparently your internship! And it looks like it’s in the same format as other checklist quests–aka, it won’t stop beeping until you complete it.

If you don’t want to go crazy from notifications, you'll simply have to go out and explore the big city. Maybe you have to go and work the concessions stand at the movie theater, which appears to be showing Shrek and Cats if you want to sneak into a showing, or you get the ever coveted position of cat cafe barista. Perhaps you’re suddenly a neurosurgeon! Wow! Don’t fuck it up, guy! While you do get compensated for your work, it seems like an amount gets automatically deducted for your Duocaeli subscription. Uhhh, is that legal? Apparently.

With Pride currently underway in Crane City, the jobs are also just a little bit more vibrant. You can help manage the parade if you want to, or have a job as a sexy, sexy flag bearer. Everything in the city glistens with festivities, whether it be raucous parties or other joyful celebrations.

> 3. ELEMENTAL ECCENTRICITY

As expected, learning new things comes with a few unexpected speed bumps. For those who attempt to practice with their new elemental magic, whether it be in the world of Duocaeli or within the confines of Dodo’s walls, they might feel a sudden surge of power course through them. Is it more refined control? Improved strength? Hm, it feels a little bit more like…

—Oh. No.

For characters aligned with Fire or Earth: Your emotions are just a little bit stronger now–but also a little bit out of your control. While everything feels inherent to you, it also feels like everything is turned up to 11. Oversensitive? How dare you! Say that to my face! …. Well, hopefully it passes quickly.

For characters aligned with Water or Light: Nothing’s amiss here–it’s just unbelievable that you are currently existing as you are, and no one is holding your hand or giving you a hug right now. Some might call it being a little bit touch starved, but physical contact should be normalized, you know? A punch can be a touch, too, if that’s more your style.

For characters aligned with Wind or Darkness: Well, thank god you’re not dealing with anything quite as bad as the others–no, you just find that your words are flowing a little bit more freely. A little more honestly, even. Hopefully you don’t have all that much to hide, but you know, some vulnerability can be good for the soul.

These effects can suddenly surge and hit you at any point during your day! They're temporary, but always sneaky :)

OOC Notes

Our Reserves open tonight at 11:55 PM EST —drop in and let us get excited for you!

Also, everything from BETA TESTING 0.1 is still available to play with. Feel free to use old prompts and dungeons! Also, during Beta Testing, we'd like to remind players that we're accepting any and all feedback that could help us improve the game before official start.

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athanasia | who made me a princess

[accretive]

i. sweet dreams

[ wow, where was blue chamomile when she needed it months ago? if the tea works as advertised, athanasia wants to collect as much as she can in case it's needed in the future. she's determined.

she looks to her quest partner. ]

I don't mind coming up with a compliment or telling you one of my hopes or dreams or anything else, if you want to keep to yourself.

[ athanasia isn't the most open person, but she can do a lot of things if it means she can get a sleeping aid that heals. ]

ii. hare-owing

[ listen, how can athy resist cute bunnies that want to be picked up and held? she can't, so she's holding a fluffy bunny in her arms as she looks at all the festivities. she's being offered drinks left and right, and it's part of the quest to help taste-test them, so she shouldn't say no, right? if this gets her free money in game, this should be alright to do, shouldn't it?

she holds up her drink to the nearest person. ]

Cheers?

[ who's to say if this drink won't make her a little more physically affectionate? ]

iii. internship

[ money is money is money despite whatever her background in this new city may or may not be. even as a princess, she hoarded jewels because a girl can never be sure when she'll have to fend for herself on the streets.

athy has a basket of flowers. she's also wearing bunny ears because it's super cute even if she's internally embarrassed by them, but she holds out a flower out to anyone walking by and takes a small breath before saying: ]

A bloom a day keeps the sadness away!

[ she wants the ground to open up and consume her, but her customer service smile doesn't show that at all. ]

iv. wildcard

[ i'm open to whatever!! ]

i

[floralistic]

[alfred just gives her an easygoing smile.]

Hey, I'm fine with a mutual trade! [he's not exactly the most private of people, anyway.] Wouldn't be fair to make you do all the work, after all. But I wouldn't say no to getting to know my quest partner better either.

[accretive]

Okay, let's trade.

[ if it's both of them, then the flowers should bloom more and faster, right? at least, she hopes that's how it works. she doesn't want to seem self-centered either. ]

My hope and dream for my country is that it remains peaceful and prospers for a long, long time.

[floralistic]

[he nods.]

That's a good dream. My own is pretty much the same, honestly.

[accretive]

[ she shouldn't assume too much because anyone can have this kind of goal, but a country's future is more likely the focus of... ]

Am I speaking to nobility? Royalty?

[floralistic]

[he blinks, before letting out a laugh.]

Haha, was it that obvious? Should I assume I'm also speaking to the same?

[accretive]

Ehe... I was going out on a limb.

[ in her previous life, her most prominent goal was making ends meet each and every month, not how her country was going to be. ]

I thought someone likeminded would be more similar in station.

[ she gives him a perfect curtsy, from one royal to another, as is her assumption. ]

I am a princess, but it's not like that should affect anyone here.

iii!

[sanguinary]

[SHE'S REALLY DOING HER BEST OUT HERE IN THESE WILDS... Fortunately the person that she stops is enough of a weirdo alien that he isn't going to judge her extremely cringe line or embarrassing bunny ears. Rather than any of that, it's what she says that seems to catch his attention, and his head cants to the side curiously.]

They have such properties? [MAGIC ANTI-DEPRESSION FLOWERS... He doesn't reach out to take it, though.] Is it more or less effective than bloodletting for an excess of melancholic humor...?

[accretive]

[ how lucky that he's a weirdo sword spirit, not that she knows that's what he is. she thinks he is kind of a weirdo, to talk about bloodletting first thing. the people closest to her are quick to think of murder, so her expression doesn't budge, but... why....

she's still holding the flower out because it's her job. ]

It's more harmless! It's easier on everyone, all around. It's more effective to me.

[sanguinary]

[He is definitely a weirdo and that is a bigger defining trait than being a sword, so this is a fair assessment.]

I see... [A nod! He'll reach out to take the flower, thank you poor put-upon lady.] Very well, then. I will purchase your wares. It will go nicely with the flowers that supposedly encourage a better sleep. You wouldn't happen to have any more of those, would you?

[accretive]

[ oh... she looks a little sheepish because she wants to horde all the ones she can find, but she can't be too greedy.... ]

Um, we don't sell any, but I did collect a bunch earlier. Do you have trouble sleeping?

[sanguinary]

[Her dragon hoarding...

That said, Matsui shakes his head. It's not for him! He has horrific nightmares, but fortunately, he's saved from having to deal with his insomnia for a few more weeks. Rather:]

It seems to be a problem common to many humans... I had thought it would be a good idea to gather as much as possible to ensure everyone in Dodo can sleep soundly.

[accretive]

[ she has her reasons..... she has so many reasons....

matsui, your nightmares. please ask for help or talk to someone. athy, unaware of how his trauma has affected him, only smiles because that's so nice of him. it's very sweet. ]

Oh! If that's what you wanted, you don't have to pay for any of the ones I have. I don't mind sharing them with anyone at the house.

[ she is not going to comment on how he said to many humans..... this man is not human. okay. ]

i

[hollowedground]

[ Wow, Brakka has somehow managed to find himself the perfect quest partner? Athy does not need to tell him twice, he nods, perfectly content to keep to himself which. Probably does not come as a surprise since he's dressed entirely in black and has that Vibe™. ]

...yeah, go for it. Whatever you wanna tell me I'll listen.

[accretive]

[ an edgelord vibe..... athy honestly likes to keep to herself, but needs dictate.

she nods. ]

Okay... It probably sounds cliché, but I want to make it so my family and friends can live a long, long time in as peaceful a time as possible.

[hollowedground]

[ The most edge but actually—that sure is a shadow of a smile peeping out from the darkness. ]

So what if it's cliché? You mean it right? That's what matters.

[accretive]

Yeah. I'm not ashamed of it or think it's a bad wish at all. Wanting good things for those I care about... and being able to work towards providing it... it has a lot of meaning.

[ and when she used to think she couldn't do anything about her own life, being able to affect others, too, is a great development. ]

[hollowedground]

[ Brakka gives a short nod before slipping back into his usual expression, reserved and just a bit intense. ]

It's a better reason for work than most of us have.

iii

[magesque]

[this poor thing

rin thinks vaguely of the girls on the street who have to hand out tissues to people, but they normally don't come with bunny ears or this kind of slogan....

well, she'll take the flower]

Mm, thanks. [ . . . ] The outfit looks cute on you. [but even so,] I hope your shift ends soon.

[she doesn't show the embarrassment but rin can sense it.... she knows....]

[accretive]

Hehe...

[ that makes athy think she is showing it, though. showing it enough to be sensed.... it's amazing how her father didn't catch onto her cutesy act for all these years. ]

It's a little embarrassing.... thanks. I have to do what I can for spending money.

[ even if it all automatically goes to pay for online gaming, somehow. ]

iii

[humainity]

[ Sophia merely looks puzzled, hesitant to take the flower because that seems...? Well. ]

Thank you, but you should save it for someone else, then. I'm not feeling sad at the moment.

[ And what if she hands them all out and then someone with extreme depression walks by? ]

[accretive]

There is enough for everyone, and even if you're not sad, if it can brighten your day more even a little, it's done its job.

[ she continues holding out the flower. ]

[humainity]

[ Well. She'll take the flower because she's not Difficult. ]

Thank you! No one's ever given me a flower before.

[accretive]

[ she won't pry on a first meeting, but she's wondering what's up. ]

It only takes one before more will follow, so I hope you get more chances to receive flowers later.

[humainity]

[ AIs don't get flowers! That's all! ]

Do people really give away flowers so often?