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beta testing 0.1: tutorial & dungeon
beta testing 0.1
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!
"On" Tutorial
It’s pitch black. Is the darkness an old friend or a source of anxiety for you? Who’s to say what you were doing before, but right now there’s only one thing before your eyes: an ominous word over a slowly generating bar.
All at once - you’re plunged into color.
> A1. TUTORIAL START
If you’re lucky, the first sights that greet you are lush greenery, dancing street performers, and a grand statue of an elephant with assorted birds nesting nearby. Welcome to Avisle’s Town Square.After a quick once-over, you’ll find that everything that you had on you before arriving is accounted for–so if you were barefoot and in your pajamas, you might not have much–with one notable addition: a glowing crystal in your pocket. The roughly cut gem fits in your palm and is already fastened on a chain for you. Convenient!
Soon after finding it, the crystal will begin to project information in front of you that is remarkably legible, even if you’ve never seen these particular runes before. It reads: New Worldwalker’s Checklist. Below, a series of tick boxes await you. You may need to start asking around or exploring. Seems like you’ve got things to do!
If you’re less fortunate, it seems you’ve landed just a bit outside the maintained grounds of the city itself. Somehow you’ve spawned in the middle of a pack of wolves. Huh! Well. You can see the city not too far from here, so maybe if you’re quick… Time to learn on your feet!
Whenever you do get to safety and complete the same inventory of your person, the crystal will respond to you just the same. Apparently you just decided to play on Hard Mode.
> A2. THE BUSTLING GUILD TOWN
☑️ Join a Guild
Avis Isle is a deeply uncharted place, welcoming explorers and curious adventurers. The Guilds do their best to provide structure for the city proper and for those getting a grasp of their magic; the Interguild Alliance (IGA) oversees the Guild Hub where quests are posted and dungeon crawls are organized. While there are all sorts of Guilds around, there are five main wings for each of the Grand 5.
Why not get to know them better? NPCs will call you over and try to encourage you to join them, some with challenging jeers and others with sincere, kind invitations–don’t you know that the very first guild that you join is free? Choose wisely! The guild’s mascot animal, some type of Avian, sits upon a very nice and color-coded throne in their respective wing awaiting your choice. Once you’ve made your selection, it will croon (or honk) at you, and your membership is complete. While you can’t actually hear the words, you have a feeling you’ve been told something like, “Now get to work, fresh meat!”
—Though if you're dallying, guilds aren't without mischief. A stray bird (though never The Throned Mascot Bird) may suddenly run by, webbed feet slapping on tile, and steal one of your items before ducking into the respective wing of their guild. The same goes for those that try to leave without joining a guild. Theft is a great marketing strategy, right?
> A3. BEGINNER’S QUEST: DUNGEON CRAWL
For all new worldwalkers, there is one quest that you must complete upon joining the server. Some call it fun-datory, some call it hazing. Don’t worry about it! Your crystal will blink at you before providing the details of the quest:
☑️ Dungeon Mission:
Retrieve the Hiccuping Hifloon
Retrieve the Hiccuping Hifloon
Though should there come a moment that you find yourself low on energy, whether it be from simple exhaustion or magic use, your communication crystal will flash. A new understanding will come to you: it is possible to transfer mana to one another via gestures of affection, borrowing from your traveling partner’s own energy. Why don’t you go and try it now? Holding a hand might just make you feel better, and not just emotionally!
> A4. TUTORIAL END
And with that, you’ve wrapped up the Duocaeli tutorial! Congratulations!! That said, while it's understandable to get off-track—if you outright ignore the prompts from your to-do list, you’ll find yourself respawning in front of the goal you need to accomplish! Come on, work with us a little here. Or don’t? You can be trapped in a loop if you really want.
Now you’re free to explore the rest of town. While there are some land masses in the distance, out past the wolves, it seems they're not quite open to you at the moment. Attempts to wander closer will lead to you getting turned right back around, and some glitchy text coming from your Communication Crystal that reads SERVER TRAFFIC.
If you poke around the options on your Communication Crystal, or just spend long enough logged on confused, you will eventually find it prompting you through the steps of Logging Out. Seems like there’s more still that awaits you.
"OFF" Tutorial
> B1. HOME SWEET HOME
When you awaken in the OFF world, the pressure on the front of your face is a little more apparent. Taking off the digital visor is easy—and it can turn compact right in your hand! Getting it to snap back into your cell phone just right might be a pain, thank goodness it’s durable—oh right, did we mention you have a cell phone? Whether you’re familiar with the device or not, it’s right there in your palm, the same color as your Duocaeli crystal. A closer examination of your clothes will also reveal that while your threads are familiar, they’re not exactly what you had in Duocaeli. Ever heard of a department store? They’re a little more like what you’d find there! Finally, your phone will suddenly beep and provide you with a new checklist, starting with:☑️ Locate Domus Hosus Room
Seems like the first one is to find your room… But as you take a closer look around you, you might finally notice it—the way that the tiles on the floor seem to be shuddering in excitement at your awakening, the opening and closing of windows and cabinets to get your attention and say hi. Not only is the house alive, it seems to be happy to see you! Make your request—maybe a passing soul tells you that the house likes to be called Dodo, rather than the formal Domus Hosus—and see if it can be answered! Dodo so wants you to be comfortable here.
…and perhaps be a little mischievous? As you try to find your room, designated by your name on a plaque, you might be in for a surprise. Maybe the stairs suddenly turn into a slide, prompting you to tumble into another person. Perhaps the doors flicker and switch at the last second, prompting you to find an unfamiliar neighbor instead of your own lodgings. Is this what they call… a meet cute?
> B2. SURVIVE THE INTERNET
☑️ Post on DUONET
You have some questions, right? Don’t worry, whether for the inquisitive mind or the petty complaint, there’s always the internet! Through your cell phone, you’ll be prompted and guided through the steps of posting on DUONET, which is available to your fellow Worldwalkers. Don’t forget there’s also an Anonymous function, though it’s not without its own hiccups!
> B3. HELLO, MY NAME IS
At some point in your exploration, you’ll be interrupted by a neat little beep beep! On the screen of your phone:
☑️ Go to Dodo's Welcome Mingle
Or It'll Be Sad It Worked Really Hard On It :(
Or It'll Be Sad It Worked Really Hard On It :(
O-Oh. No reason not to drop in for a little while at least, right? Heading down to the Lobby of the Dodo House will reveal that it's been spruced up for all the new arrivals—sweet little string lights and dinky party streamers probably look a little silly against the grand art nouveau architecture, but don't you see how the lights surge happily at your arrival? It's the thought that counts!
All arrivals to the party will also find themselves with a name tag that lists one fact about them, regardless of whether it's a closely guarded secret or an actual fun fact! Those are impossible to think of when you're put on the spot—isn't it nice to have one thought of for you?
> B4. THE GOOD FORTUNE CITY
Once you're done partying, you and your newfound friends are free to hit the town. There are an unusual amount of signs that read CLOSED FOR PRIDE PARADE PREP, but you'll at least find that the local convenience stores and basic modern amenities are open.
Perhaps you should focus on the way other people here treat you so familiarly, as though you’ve been here all your life. Maybe some of it is jogging your memory, maybe not. Regardless, it seems that, for now, you’re here to stay. The question is how, or whether, you’ll make the best of it.
OOC Notes
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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duocaeli duologs duolingosTaken / Applications / Hiatus & Drops
FULL NAVIGATION
forcing me into action clenches teeth
so he will definitely enjoy kicking his ass? time to work out some frustration without talking about it. he's running, one-handedly texting as he goes.]
See you there.
[when he does show up, he's just. carrying two sheathed swords. because he didn't have time to belt them on. he considers both in his hand, sizes up buzen in front of him, and unsheathes the shittier one, placing the other, much nicer sword against the wall.]
I'm ready when you are.
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but he's, admittedly, distracted by the treatment of the swords. there's something more curious and grounded in his gaze, and this is how i try to save niji and myself from having to write a fight thread]
... has h—it been with you through many battles?
[did he almost call the sword 'he'? perhaps. don't worry about it. a nod toward this 'shittier' sword...
it's still a comrade, to buzen.]
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he turns the shittier sword over in his hand.]
It's served me well, considering its affliction. I've done what I can for it to lengthen its life.
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Affliction? What happened to it?
[like a disease for swords? there's something a little worried in Buzen's gaze now, a sharp type of concern that he hadn't really had before.]
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It wasn't soulforged. So it was gradually weakening each time I used it.
[he holds it to eye level, gazing along the blade's edge, lips pursed.]
I don't know if it's still affected here, though.
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... what would soulforging entail? Why did you refrain?
[and - ]
Does it possess a name?
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[but he? still answers??]
Soulforging meant putting something's soul into the object to make it strong. Only reason I didn't do it was because I didn't have enough money. [the soul, he was working on. that would've been the less annoying part, to be sure.]
And no, it doesn't have a name. [wow, he was right on the money with this guy?] I wasn't even sure it would last the season.
[why is he feeling bad about it? it's stupid to feel bad about his shitty swords not making it, but he does?
felix points at the other sword that he carefully placed at the wall.]
That one does.
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[this doesn't have deep-rooted issues or anything. buzen's not against a fight - actually crossing the blades is the fun part - but what's he supposed to do when he feels far more camaraderie with this afflicted blade than its owner?]
Can I ask the other sword's name?
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It's not like it's a bad sword. I'm just not in the habit of naming things, and I'm not good at it, anyway. You can give it one, if it makes you feel better.
[he sheathes the nameless blade, and picks up the other, drawing it instead.]
This is the Moralta. It's my family's blade, passed down through generations.
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That's alright. The attempt now is good too. Ah.... Do you remember the first thing the sword cut? Its smith's name? Even the province it was forged in... and may I have yours?
[in a pinch, a wielder's name can work... but buzen will nod and - proceed to bow? to both swords? he places his hands upon his hips and bows deeply, a 90-degree angle, twice before rising]
An honor to cross paths with you, Mora-san. I'm Buzen Gou. I wonder which one of us is older.
[is he going to explain this right now. apparently not.]
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??? ???????? ??
the little display gives him enough pause that it takes a half-second for him to collect his words enough to continue like that was nothing weird. maybe he was a blacksmith's son. but what about the age thing...?]
My name is Felix. And... I think the Moralta is probably older than you—unless you're several hundred years old.
[That Is A Joke!]
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The Buzen Gou, forged by Gou no Yoshihiro - a sword so fast it's never been seen. Supposedly forged in what was once-called the Buzen Province in Japan about eight hundred years ago.
[and then with his free hand, a gesture to himself and a pleased little smile, proud.]
Buzen Gou. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Feli-san, Sty-san, and Mora-san.
[their names are too difficult for him to pronounce please be kind]
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with the information available, he's coming to an insane conclusion that can't possibly be true, however intriguing it is—so he dismisses it, and tries for something a little more rooted in reality.]
So you're named after the sword.
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buzen shakes his head.]
There's far grander and more important swords to be named after - but in general, I wouldn't recommend hoping a child takes after a weapon.
So I'm afraid not. [and then, helpfully:] I'm not human.
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You are the sword? [this is exactly what he was afraid of. but with everything else he's seen, he's willing to at least humor it. except--] But it's in your hand.
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[he almost sounds too eager to explain, but mostly he just laughs]
Well, to be clearer - where I come from, objects can gain spirits once they've survived enough years. Mm... I can sense something from Sty-san, but I don't know if the spirit is ready to manifest yet. Mora-san's will is stronger... I wonder if we could have a chat. [niji imagine if i make you rp felix's sword]
My master just summoned me in this form, because I was needed for war. So you're right - Buzen Gou is this sword. Buzen Gou is also me, and I am Buzen Gou.
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this helpful explanation from buzen has illuminated things........ a little. at the suggestion that his swords could talk, he can't help but glance at them, as if seeing them anew.]
...This all seems a little far-fetched. But I guess it's not the craziest thing I've ever heard of. [somehow.
but more importantly...]
If you're a sword, you must be skilled at swordplay. Show me.
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You think you can keep up with my speed?
[the demeanor shift is almost immediate, because while buzen is absolutely an amiable and overall kind person, he's also a bit of the competitive sort.
i too don't want to write out a whole fight scene, niji so i'm following jan's lead in writing out buzen's fight style and we can figure out what the hell happens. which is to say that he's fast! it's funny bc i think he and felix both err toward speed so it's just two lightning bruisers duking it out. buzen won't go at absurd tsukumogami speeds from the start - he knows this is a spar, and tries to avoid harming humans whenever possible.
still, his strikes are quick and decisive, and he'll intend to put the pressure on felix almost immediately. he wields the sword with extreme skill, as expected of - well, someone who was both forged and summon for the purpose of battle.
also, he's having a simply absurd amount of fun.]
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[buzen's shift into making this a real competition, even if it is just a spar, only serves to spur felix on as well. although his expression doesn't change, something in his eyes dances with the thrill of the fight.
i too am not doing this fight scene, but felix and buzen do indeed have similar strengths—strong and quick, decisive and offensive. rather than begrudge the similarities, it seems to spur felix on—and his technique, which starts as something rather solid, starts getting creative, unexpected... or maybe just reckless. openings are few and far between, but at a chance, he'll go for a high-risk-high-reward strike.
the amount of fun buzen is having is addictive—and felix is doing his best not to get caught up in it, maintaining a mask of focus, even as his attacks get more unique, seeking out a hole in in the sword's technique. buzen has the upper hand on him here in a number of ways, but felix is nothing if not tenacious.]
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it's when felix goes for one of his high-risk and high-reward strikes that just seems like it's going to land—that buzen's competitive streak finally breaks out. he moves faster than the human eye can feasibly see, faster than the sound of their blades meeting, and with a sidestep and flick of his wrist lets his sword point directly at felix's throat.]
—hey, where are you looking?
[though even with the taunt, the red of his eyes shine more brightly in this moment, inhuman and delighted]
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finally, he finds his words to ask:]
Can you do that again?
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Sure. Listen closely.
[and he'll perform his favorite party trick! which is that he will begin by raising his hand in front of him for felix to see, thumb and pointer finger resting against one another. with a flick of his wrist, he snaps.
by the time the sound reaches felix's ears, buzen's in front of him, hand curled into a fist, about to slam into felix's gut—he stops a millimeter short, but a burst of wind comes with the motion.
faster than the speed of sound! buzen gou.... like sonic]
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somehow, it's a little disappointing. not unimpressive, just... less exciting.
once buzen's fist is clear of his gut, regardless of how he feels about it, he has follow-up questions.]
How do you do it? Is it a skill you possess? A spell?
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[he'll let his hands rest on the hilt of his sword, taking on a casual stance as all his fight seems to leave his person. where there was a person who embodied the sharpness of a blade just a few seconds ago, buzen in his more casual stance definitely seems more like just some random, semi-charming guy]
I am a spirit though - and fast, even amongst my comrades. [did he mention he's fast] I'm glad for it though! This is what feels good to me.
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[it's a complete defeat—for now. despite the circumstances, there's still something in his eyes that burns with the hard-headed determination to improve enough to land a hit, even the playing field.
perhaps not possible to learn this, but not impossible to improve to a higher, closer level. this won't be the last time he challenges buzen.]
But even a sword can falter. I'll catch you sometime.
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