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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
no subject
I'm not going to end up like a skinned duck.
( he's going to make sure riku knows that since he can tell exactly what that face means. little juniper used to go bug-eyed when she saw his feathers fall, so he's not unused to this... kids, man.
ignore that aspen's probably smaller than riku.
his wing is still spread to keep riku safe, and aspen actually keeps pace with him easily. once out of the immediate vicinity, he takes a moment to pause and look back, lowering his wings - ah! there's one of the cottomaris stuck to his wing!
...
aspen ruffles his wing, watching it fall away along with some of his other dead feathers. )
Run along before I decide to make a bag out of you. ( he stamps the end of his staff near where it fell, and as it scampers away, he refocuses onto riku. ) Let me see where it scratched you.
no subject
Good. I prefer ducks not skinned.
[HELP.
He stays in line with Aspen as they traverse the disarmingly cute and deadly cottonmari. When one remains clinging to a wing, Riku starts to raise the Keyblade, but Aspen shakes it away. And... threatens it away? A BAG?!]
It's not too bad. [But he holds out his arm since he is a changed boy.] It itches more than anything.
no subject
Let's see... Newleaf.
( he murmurs it more to himself. the gentle scent of floral lemongrass picks up as he glows a faint gold, a wave of power coursing over riku's skin. it soothes the itchiness away, gradual but present. he thumbs at one of the still-open wounds though, scrutinizing it more closely with brows knit in worry. another pulse of power (with an accompanying "blossom heal") closes those wounds, though it takes longer. he straightens to look at riku, letting go of him and then pointing toward his own wings. )
Does your back itch as well, or did that help?
no subject
Maybe when he was younger, he’d be less willing. And though he is still critical and distrusting sometimes, he’s made an attempt to be more open—especially to help. Don’t look, Sora.]
…
[He watches Aspen work, curious. The itching fades, and he feels immensely better for that alone. The healing is a bonus. And thankfully, it had only really been on the fingers and the skin past the elbow.]
That helped. Thanks.
[He curls his fingers slowly to flex the hand and arm.]
Your magic reminds me of Kairi.
no subject
( he straightens, a faint smile on his face. job well done. this is the kind of thing he took his healer's oath for. the name, however, makes him tilt his head. with his wings slightly opened and his messy bangs from their escape, he almost looks like a cockatiel. )
'Kairi'? I'm afraid I don't know the name, though I imagine it must be someone you know. ( his smile dims. ) Are you separated? I would imagine the two of you would be encountering this threat together if you weren't.
no subject
Yeah, she's a friend. She likes flowers. [And also does a little magic, but he doesn't want to say too much right now about being a Keyblade wielder.] I...
We were searching for another friend of ours. I had gone on ahead; she had to stay behind to train a little more first. So it might be better if she was still back home.
[Let Kairi have her Recoded moment.]
no subject
Is it better for her or for you? ( he wonders it aloud, smiling a bit. better for his peace of mind, or for her increasing skill? ) It sounds as if you're worried about both of your friends. That's a laudable trait. Perhaps you'll find your friend yet. They always have a habit of coming back to you at the strangest of times.
( he thinks of amir and his bright sunshine smile and rolls his eyes fondly, rifling a hand through his messy bangs and fixing his hair. )
Good luck to your friend if she's a green mage as well. Flora are beautiful and useful, but they can be difficult to work with.
You fight close-combat, don't you?
no subject
They do. [He peers down at his free hand and then curls it into a sturdy fist to keep from fidgeting it. He glances up again.] If they're not here, and if they don't show up... I'll just have to get back to them.
...
[Well. Aspen uses magic, and (looks at the Keyblade he's holding). He really can't act as clueless as he hopes.]
Yeah, a little. I... can use some magic, too... if it'd work like it should.
no subject
We all feel strongly about the people we cherish; you needn't be embarrassed for wanting to protect them. All of us have to keep that desire in check with acknowledging the potential of our loved ones.
( he's not entirely sure if that's what riku is feeling - he can read faces well enough to pinpoint exactly when to say this or that, but aspen would admit to himself that since he wasn't raised the same as any other child, he has a problem with understanding the ways teens think sometimes.
granted, that makes it easy for him to treat them with the respect of an equal and the care of a parent instead of looking down on them. he extends a hand, fingers splayed. )
Have you had problems with your magic before?
no subject
But she's as important to him as Sora, and he doesn't want anything to happen to her.]
Right.
[It's an understanding concede.
His beryl-colored eyes drop to the extended hand; his own lifts, but then hesitates as if he isn't sure giving his hand is what's wanted. The other hand hefts the Keyblade a bit.]
Not... exactly. The Keyblade lets me use magic, so as long as it's not broken... My magic just doesn't seem as strong as it was before right now.
no subject
My magic can see someone's well-being. If you are worried something else might be impacting your magic, then I can check. I will say, however, that I've felt the same as you - my magic isn't as strong as it should be.
Thankfully, some things are not based on strength. ( information-gathering spells are not really privy to how strong a spell is or not. can't be weaker if a spell only has a level 1 version! )
I assume that blade is what you call the 'key' blade. ( fitting. )
no subject
I can't really tell since the magic comes from the Keyblade. I don't usually feel anything except getting tired if I throw out too much of it too fast. If yours isn't as strong either... it must be the world.
[The thing about Riku is no matter how strong or confident his heart is now, he still has a little darkness in him. Somewhere in the recesses, the darkness is a dormant power which Aspen may be able to sense. It fills what once had been cracks of fear or failure, reinforcing it, like a spiritual kintsugi. What had been unwieldy, dangerous, and undisciplined before is now honed and controlled.
And that's all. No magic. Only the strength of his heart, guiding the light and the darkness. But perhaps it's what powers the catalyst in his hand so it is able to perform the magic.]
no subject
he's still learning soul magic, and it's all self-taught. aspen doesn't realize that when he peers into riku's heart, it's two way. he sees the darkness in the depths of his mind and soul, still holding it all together along with the light. he can't help but fondly smile. another prodigy, huh? he's found a lot of those in petir. light and dark magic by themselves were extremely difficult and rare to harness, and to see both in a boy relatively young? he can imagine the arcaenemia drooling for his entrance exam. gross. someone save this kid before higher education demands he write a thesis.
aspen is the direct opposite. despite his beauty, his silvery, pale, white features - he is drenched in shadow. but there, at his heart, is an unflinching light - a candle in the darkness. comforting. a rainy, thunderless midnight, protectively lulling everyone to sleep. )
Impressive. I've never heard of someone so young harnessing both.
Mmm, but... I didn't get a grasp of your magic.
Your - Keyblade, then, may be effected? ( he raises his hand, not seeking to grab the blade, but simply touch with the flat of his fingers.
aspen's eyes grow almost comically large. he jolts away as if burned, letting out a soft hiss and flapping his hand. )
Ugh! Oh, that's the temperamental burn of an artifact if I've ever felt one. Besides pain, I did feel a diminished capacity. I would wager you're right.
no subject
The surprise Riku has from the soul darkness reverb is because he never thought he'd see a heart in the same position his was in before. Back when the King encouraged him to resist the hold of Ansem and the darkness. His heart was swathed in shadow, but the little light in the center kept burning.]
You're...
[The jolt startles him, a domino effect of surprise. He jerks the Keyblade back and away, not out of insult, but because he thinks its vicinity will keep hurting Aspen somehow. The soul being covered in shadow doesn't help the assumption.]
Hey! Are you alright?
no subject
( he frowns lightly at the flats of his fingers and in a wave of his healing light, the blisters are gone.
he shoots an apologetic glance to riku and shrugs his slender shoulders helplessly. )
No need to worry - this isn't the first time that's happened. Tried to hold the Peacekeeper's sword once and it burned me so fiercely I think I could see my bone. ( another shrug, and a sardonic smile with a brow raised at his own stupidity. ) I should know better than to touch a magical artifact without knowing its rules for worthiness.
no subject
They're still in a dungeon, but for the time being, Riku loosens his fingers to allow the Keyblade to shimmer into nonexistence. Then he reaches out carefully with his free hand to cradle Aspen's forearm, letting him look over the healed fingers.]
As long as you're okay, don't worry about that. [Trying to touch it without permission he means.] Keyblades are a little finnicky, but they're used to protect worlds and hearts. So you don't have to be afraid of them.
[Not that Aspen is afraid! Just... yeah.]
no subject
I really am alright. ( his smile is more genuine now, softer and kind. he wiggles his fingers to make sure riku sees that there's no pain there. ) See? Though, it's good to hear that. Some artifacts are frightening. I've seen the damage incredible power can do in the hands of someone less noble.
( and he's kind of done incredible damage himself, but he's not going to mention that. the darkness of his heart festers in bitter memory, but his light still shines as brightly as ever - always holding to his morals, his ideals. )
Are you ready for what lies ahead?
no subject
Wow, growth.]
I know you healed it, but if you ever need a cure, I can lend it. [Satisfied and relieved, he draws his hand back to himself. His eyes stay lowered under his lashes for a long moment.] I’ve seen that, too.
[He’s seen… a lot of that actually.
When his eyes do lift after, he seems vaguely surprised by the last words. It’s familiar in a grander way, but then he realizes Aspen probably just means the dungeon. The surprise shifts into a softer resolve.]
Yeah, I’m ready.
no subject
It's good to know. I assume your strength is in physical combat, though - since I'm not well-versed in that, keep your energy for that.
( he keeps his gaze ahead now, only glancing back to make sure riku's intent on going. he doesn't mind that riku leads in any way, and falls easily into line, but something about his stride says that aspen is just as comfortable with leading. )
no subject
He lets Aspen's hand go.]
We have our own strengths, but being able to use a Keyblade means being as well-rounded as possible. [He falls in line with Aspen, and he shares the lead. He is adept at keeping things on course, so their direction is good, but he isn't necessarily a complete leader.] In case you're ever on your own.
I'll handle the front, though.
[Aspen will simply have to deal with being back-up healed if shit ever hits the fan too bad.]