Your head feels heavy, your memories foggy, and as you struggle to recall where you are and what you were doing, you hear the sound of something large and heavy moving behind you. Whatever it is - machinery of some sort, you can tell that much right away - it doesn’t seem hostile; merely a massive machine going about doing something down far, far below you. You can see it - through the cracks of the floor you're standing on, and the steep drop off the side. At least there’s a railing on this path to keep you from falling down there?
No matter which way you look - up, down, or out straight ahead of you - there’s endless paths and structures, as though you’re standing in some sort of massive building. You look to your left and there’s a broken section of wall revealing open space - strange, since you aren’t wearing anything different, yet you’re still breathing just fine.
A loud ping! catches your attention, followed by a few more. As you turn around to find the source of the noise, you’re led to a rundown computer terminal. It looks ancient, untouched, and dusty, and yet there’s a message in bright green standing against the stark black contrast of the monitor.
/// L O A D I N G . . .
Oh good, you’re awake.
Hi, I don’t have much time, so please pay close attention.
You’re the only ones who can save this world - all worlds, maybe.
Thank you for agreeing to help.
For now, please practice your new abilities and try to work together.
I’ll be in contact with you as soon as possible.
It feels familiar, like maybe you've experienced something similar before, despite the fact that none of you recognize this place. What's going on here? What have you gotten yourself into?
AWAKENING
Your memories leading up to your sudden arrival in this place may be foggy. Even if they aren't, you certainly don't remember how you got here of all places. And where exactly is here? Well, inside of some sort of massive structure that expands outwards, backwards, downwards, and upwards. Every direction you look, there's plenty of building to be seen, whether it's walkways over the abyss (but thankfully with mostly sturdy guard rails) or stairs and ramps leading up and down to new floors, or even rooms that don't seem to hold much of interest. All of it is rundown, worn and in desperate need of some dusting.
Before you sits the terminal, a sturdy computer set into a pillar with an old-fashioned and dusty keyboard. The green text remains bright against the black background, with a cursor indicating that you can input text, if you'd like. You may try to communicate with whoever's on the other end at any point in time during the week, though you may not receive the answers you're hoping for.
Not too far away is a carefully-arranged group of supplies. You'll find plenty of non-perishable food, blankets and bedrolls, clothes in your sizes that are plain but acceptable, and some basic supplies - things like rope and matches and flashlights, but no weapons or anything you could use to defend yourselves. You'll also find a large room nearby that happens to have several bathrooms and a fairly large communal shower. Despite being rather old and dusty, they do work... though the water never gets above "not freezing". Sorry about that.
Looks like you'll have to settle in, as there doesn't seem to be any way out of this strange structure.
EXPLORATION
It's likely that your first thought will be to explore. Why not? After all, there must be a way back home, or at least a way out of wherever this is. Traversing the structure is fairly easy, as even if a path is blocked by rubble, you'll find another one going in a similar direction somewhere nearby. In fact, the entire place seems to be rather pointlessly constructed - hallways that lead to dead ends, paths that loop in circles for no reason, and far, far too many stairs.
If you're lucky, you'll stumble across rooms with some basic supplies. They won't have any food or weapons, but you'll find some dusty fabrics and blankets, or small caches of tools. If you're unlucky, you'll be lost in this structure for far too long, wandering off the beaten path and possibly losing track of where you are and how to get back to the base... you might want to travel with a buddy, just to be safe. Or hope that someone stumbles across you and can guide you back, your pick.
Holes in the structure open out into what looks like... well, outer space. An endless sea of stars amidst a black sky that never changes, making it hard to tell how much time has passed. Despite this, you can breathe easily, just as you would back home.
MACHINES
It won't take you long to notice that you aren't truly alone. After all, how could you be, when massive machines seem to be hard at work on constructing even more of this place? The large ones - the builders - do just that, building more pathways and rooms and walkways, endlessly working and never stopping. They don't take notice of you; they won't respond to anything you say, and even attempting to poke and prod them won't get a reaction. Even if you get particularly daring and try to take one apart, you'll find that it's nearly impossible; these machines are massive. Finding a panel to get into to get at their wiring is strangely impossible. They seem to be completely seamless, with nothing you can really do to investigate them further.
But they aren't the only machines present. Though you likely won't see them immediately, you will hear them; a skittering, metal-on-metal clicking sound that alerts you to a presence, but fades before you can even detect which direction it was coming from. Whatever it is, it seems to be watching you.
And if you're ever alone... well, then they'll show themselves. Around three feet tall and made of metal with long, spindly legs that look like they shouldn't support their thicker cores, these spider-like robots aren't particularly strong on their own, but they never attack on their own, only in groups of three or more. If you're especially unlucky, you can find upwards of ten of them at a time. They have two claw-like "hands" that can shoot a jolt of electricity or scratch at you - and be careful, because they hurt! That jolt of electricity can even leave a burn if you're unlucky.
But surely if you stick together you won't have to fight them... right?
SHARDS
The strange gemstone imbedded in the back of your dominant hand almost hums when you're in danger. It fills you with confidence, with the knowledge that you can do something - though what exactly that something is varies from person to person. You might be lucky enough that you innately recognize your power and know how to use it. You might not be that lucky and you might have to manifest it in combat to defend yourself. Regardless, it will manifest - and you now have access to a power all your own.
It's not going to be easy to control it. This power is new to you, and you'll need to practice to have a hope of utilizing it in full. But right now, you have the means to defend yourself, and if those spider robots get particularly bold, you can stop them. After all, what better way to put your power to use than by testing it on fairly weak robots?
Let's hope that you can aim your power well enough, however. While the builders may not care about you at any point in time, if an attack goes wide and hits them or they're otherwise in the path of an ability, they will turn their full attention on you. You really don't want that. Builders are relentless in their pursuit of you - and they have massive steel beams they will swing at you, or they'll try to crush you with their giant hands and fists. There are only two ways to stop a builder: the first is to run far, far away. They cannot chase you, as they are connected to the building itself, after all. The other way is to destroy the joints of the arms or wrists, rendering the builder incapable of doing anything. Better hope you don't anger any of the ones near your base!
DOWNTIME
Aside from exploring, mastering the power of your shard, and getting to know one another... there really isn't much to do here. So how are you going to spend the time? After all, it's just you, your fellow shardbearers, and some robots that probably aren't sentient. Settle in, it looks like you've got a long week ahead of you.
ENEMIES
This week's enemies are described above: spider robots and builders. If you have an enemy idea you'd like to have your character encounter, let me know and we can discuss it!
Spider robots are three feet tall, silver metal spider-like robots that look vaguely like this. They have a core in the center of their body that can be taken, but it isn't particularly useful outside of being cool to look at. Even you tech nerds won't be able to get much out of it, as it seems impossible to find a way to dismantle it further. Spider robots come with two "hands" that have sharp claws on them; they're capable of creating electric zaps with these hands, which really hurt if they connect! Spider robots are very fast and will skitter away the moment there's danger... unless there's three or more of them, then they get bold. They will attack anyone sleeping, especially if they're alone. They're fairly weak enemies, and can be fended off even if you don't have a great grasp on your powers just yet.
The builders are a different story. Massive, structure-spanning robots that are nearly impossible to tell apart from the building itself, the only real part of them that you can identify are their dark metal arms. They are likewise massive, with one hand being large and strong enough to flatten five of you if you aren't careful. Though the builders are non-hostile and will go about their business of building this never-ending structure, they will turn their attention on you if you hit them with any sort of ability... even if that ability isn't an attack. They can swing giant metal beams or just go for the option of trying to crush you with their hands. They're slow-moving, but very powerful; though they can't pursue you so at least there's that. If you anger one near the base, watch out - as you will have to defeat it.
It certainly is. Most people simply can't leave the cities without a bodyguard! Those of us that can fight can travel freely, but much of the world is home to monsters rather than people.
[But yes, he nods at that; blastia sure are great (except when they aren't).]
Blastia can do all sorts of things - the smallest ones can grant a person the power to fight monsters, while larger ones are used for things like running water and light, as well as those barriers, of course. Really, for those with the knowledge of how they work, blastia can do just about anything!
Unfortunately, that's a bit beyond my skill level, so I couldn't give you the specifics. I do end up working with blastia quite frequently, as my guild has bought and sold them before.
So your world is simply a much more controlled version of my own...
[Something in Dorothy's expression goes a little distant at that. If humans had found something like that, would they even have any need for Nikke? Maybe they could take their self righteous nonsense and put their money where their mouth is rather than relying on others to do their dirty work. Maybe that's what they view Nikke as, like these blastia, like--
Dorothy's hands grip slightly before she forces herself to release them. Now is not the time.]
I see, however. They sound about as essential as the weaponry that humans have tried to use in order to combat the Raptures...but I digress. Your guild buys and sells these things, do they? They must be rather tightly regulated, I take it.
[Yeager inclines his head a bit at her reaction, but he decides not to pursue it. If she wants to talk about it, then surely she will. Besides, she's asked him a question.]
Well... Not as tightly as one might believe. Some variations of blastia - the common ones - are easily obtained and traded, while others are a bit more difficult to get ahold of, but are well worth the effort.
My guild - Leviathan's Claw - [good luck parsing that name between his accent and the poor pronunciation!!] primarily does mercenary work, but I've been lucky enough to get my hands on some rare blastia occasionally!
[he says, like he didn't go dig it up himself like an absolute weirdo. who let regaey happen.]
[Dorothy feels green with envy as she listens to Yeager. If they had such a thing years ago, would they have stood a chance against the innumerable Raptures that had spelled their doom? If the Goddesses had found something like that, would they have been--]
Ahh, I see. So it's more akin to black market trading, in a way. I can certainly imagine that they would be a boon to any who come across them--able to let them transverse the world without much to worry about.
[Oh, what a dream that sounds like. If she could just obtain one, maybe--]
It sounds as if Lev...Levi... [ohhhh, dorothy makes a face trying to parse that accent, it looks confused and borderline cringing without dignity before she decides to drop that completely] your guild has earned a great many accolades for what they've done. I take it that you and yours have seen many battles?
[Called the fuck out... But she isn't wrong, so he won't correct her! ☆]
Ja, you're correct. Often we find ourselves taking on jobs serving as bodyguards; for those who cannot fight themselves, or those who need some extra muscle. I hand pick only the finest for my guild, so we are quite strong, if I do say so myself.
[...let's just ignore whatever the fuck zagi's doing at any given moment—]
[zagi's just here to bleed and you know what, good for him i guess--]
I see. Your mercenaries sound like the squad I'm a part of; I'm rather selective in the process of choosing my fellow sisters in battle as well, so I can understand that. With work as important as ours, nothing less than the absolute best is the only way to go; anything else would be a liability.
You would be correct. Our squad is known as Inherit; we are the protectors of Eden, one of the only strongholds left above the surface and a fount of technological advancement. We are a specialized squad able to take on any mission that Eden asks of us, and dispatch any foe that attempts to attack us. We're a rather small squad, but when we're called to fight? Nothing can stop us.
[It's not entirely true, but Dorothy will gladly prop herself and her girls up. Even if they are absolutely insipid and softhearted and insisted on actually fighting rather than leaving someone to die, but it's fine!!!]
They are. Given that they rapidly take over and destroy almost anything they come into contact with, dispatching them quickly and effectively is a priority for us.
[There's a part of Dorothy that wonders if she should be trusting this man with so much information. After all, he's a human; he and his men could outnumber everyone in Eden for all she knows. But considering the talk of those blastia, and the potential of them, perhaps if she gets him interested...]
Raptures tend to vary as much as any "monster" that I assume you could come across, but most of the basic ones tend to be mindless creatures that only know how to destroy. There are certainly others with varying levels of intelligence and tactics of their own, separated into various classes; husks, servants, masters, lords, and tyrants primarily. Much of their tactics are simply programmed into them, and depending on the class of Rapture, some of them can even display almost human levels of intelligence. While mostly machine-like in nature, they "evolve" so to speak by consuming organic matter and adding it to themselves.
Where we come in is simple; Eden has developed specialized weaponry and armor that is able to keep us safe and even grant us flight in our battles against the Raptures. Most weaponry cannot even touch such creatures, and the sheer firepower needed in order to take one down is immense. The weapons that we all utilize are outfitted in specialized ways that allow us to destroy most any Rapture that we come across...or at the very least, injure them to a point that they'll die a nice, slow death from their own hubris.
[and if dorothy sees anything wrong with that statement she sure doesn't see it that way!!!]
To give you an example, I suppose...I have a specialized assault rifle that fires powerful rounds into any Rapture that it comes across. If it gathers enough steam, one of the bullets can attach to a larger enemy and create a brand over them, and after a certain amount of time has passed? It will explode and deal heavy damage to any surrounding enemies. It's quite useful.
[is it magic? is it machinery? is it bullshit??? yes. the answer is yes. nikke is so much.]
Much of it, yes. While we are afforded some time thanks to Eden's invisibility cloaking technology, we do still need to go out and fight against bigger threats that could become a problem for Eden. We've been fighting for many years now, in the hopes of keeping Eden a safe haven for any who are able to make it to us.
It's well worth it, however. Eden is able to produce food in perpetuity, and our healthcare is second to none in my own world. It may be an endless battle, but it's one we are glad to fight to protect our paradise.
[Dorothy pauses, though, a little intentionally but also not. She seems to consider something...]
You know, if we're able to get back home at a reasonable time...provided we're able to travel across worlds, perhaps I could put in a good word for you with Cecil or some of my squadmates. Perhaps we could see about modifying that rifle of yours?
If you would be willing to trust us with such a thing, of course.
[Briefly, he wonders what it's like to actually fight for others instead of just focusing on himself, and his guild if he's feeling generous. Once again, it strikes him how damn funny it is that he was brought here, for all people.]
My weapon is state-of-the-art and cost quite a pretty gald - but for an upgrade like that? I'd have to be a fool to say no.
[Travelling between worlds... What a wild idea. Almost as wild as the idea that he'll have anything to go back to.]
But let's save that for once we've figured out how to get home, ja? Certainly something worth looking forward to, though!
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no subject
[But yes, he nods at that; blastia sure are great (except when they aren't).]
Blastia can do all sorts of things - the smallest ones can grant a person the power to fight monsters, while larger ones are used for things like running water and light, as well as those barriers, of course. Really, for those with the knowledge of how they work, blastia can do just about anything!
Unfortunately, that's a bit beyond my skill level, so I couldn't give you the specifics. I do end up working with blastia quite frequently, as my guild has bought and sold them before.
no subject
[Something in Dorothy's expression goes a little distant at that. If humans had found something like that, would they even have any need for Nikke? Maybe they could take their self righteous nonsense and put their money where their mouth is rather than relying on others to do their dirty work. Maybe that's what they view Nikke as, like these blastia, like--
Dorothy's hands grip slightly before she forces herself to release them. Now is not the time.]
I see, however. They sound about as essential as the weaponry that humans have tried to use in order to combat the Raptures...but I digress. Your guild buys and sells these things, do they? They must be rather tightly regulated, I take it.
no subject
Well... Not as tightly as one might believe. Some variations of blastia - the common ones - are easily obtained and traded, while others are a bit more difficult to get ahold of, but are well worth the effort.
My guild - Leviathan's Claw - [good luck parsing that name between his accent and the poor pronunciation!!] primarily does mercenary work, but I've been lucky enough to get my hands on some rare blastia occasionally!
[he says, like he didn't go dig it up himself like an absolute weirdo. who let regaey happen.]
no subject
Ahh, I see. So it's more akin to black market trading, in a way. I can certainly imagine that they would be a boon to any who come across them--able to let them transverse the world without much to worry about.
[Oh, what a dream that sounds like. If she could just obtain one, maybe--]
It sounds as if Lev...Levi... [ohhhh, dorothy makes a face trying to parse that accent, it looks confused and borderline cringing without dignity before she decides to drop that completely] your guild has earned a great many accolades for what they've done. I take it that you and yours have seen many battles?
no subject
Ja, you're correct. Often we find ourselves taking on jobs serving as bodyguards; for those who cannot fight themselves, or those who need some extra muscle. I hand pick only the finest for my guild, so we are quite strong, if I do say so myself.
[...let's just ignore whatever the fuck zagi's doing at any given moment—]
no subject
I see. Your mercenaries sound like the squad I'm a part of; I'm rather selective in the process of choosing my fellow sisters in battle as well, so I can understand that. With work as important as ours, nothing less than the absolute best is the only way to go; anything else would be a liability.
no subject
[Granted, you guys probably aren't Actually Assassins. Maybe.]
But do tell me about them! What sort of work do you all do? Are you fighting those Raptures?
no subject
You would be correct. Our squad is known as Inherit; we are the protectors of Eden, one of the only strongholds left above the surface and a fount of technological advancement. We are a specialized squad able to take on any mission that Eden asks of us, and dispatch any foe that attempts to attack us. We're a rather small squad, but when we're called to fight? Nothing can stop us.
[It's not entirely true, but Dorothy will gladly prop herself and her girls up. Even if they are absolutely insipid and softhearted and insisted on actually fighting rather than leaving someone to die, but it's fine!!!]
no subject
My, that does sound impressive. These Raptures sound far more dangerous than your average monster... what are they like? How do you all fight them?
[He's guessing she's not a mage, but man you never know with mages. Look at Alexei. Who would've thought that guy was a mage???]
no subject
[There's a part of Dorothy that wonders if she should be trusting this man with so much information. After all, he's a human; he and his men could outnumber everyone in Eden for all she knows. But considering the talk of those blastia, and the potential of them, perhaps if she gets him interested...]
Raptures tend to vary as much as any "monster" that I assume you could come across, but most of the basic ones tend to be mindless creatures that only know how to destroy. There are certainly others with varying levels of intelligence and tactics of their own, separated into various classes; husks, servants, masters, lords, and tyrants primarily. Much of their tactics are simply programmed into them, and depending on the class of Rapture, some of them can even display almost human levels of intelligence. While mostly machine-like in nature, they "evolve" so to speak by consuming organic matter and adding it to themselves.
Where we come in is simple; Eden has developed specialized weaponry and armor that is able to keep us safe and even grant us flight in our battles against the Raptures. Most weaponry cannot even touch such creatures, and the sheer firepower needed in order to take one down is immense. The weapons that we all utilize are outfitted in specialized ways that allow us to destroy most any Rapture that we come across...or at the very least, injure them to a point that they'll die a nice, slow death from their own hubris.
[and if dorothy sees anything wrong with that statement she sure doesn't see it that way!!!]
To give you an example, I suppose...I have a specialized assault rifle that fires powerful rounds into any Rapture that it comes across. If it gathers enough steam, one of the bullets can attach to a larger enemy and create a brand over them, and after a certain amount of time has passed? It will explode and deal heavy damage to any surrounding enemies. It's quite useful.
[is it magic? is it machinery? is it bullshit??? yes. the answer is yes. nikke is so much.]
no subject
Goodness, they really do sound much more powerful than anything I've ever faced...
[...is it bad that he kind of wants to fight one—]
Your rifle sounds absolutely delightful; if I could find a way to get mine to do that, why, I'd never have to worry again!
[Ah, truly unfortunate that it isn't one of his artes... But anyway!]
It certainly sounds as though Eden has your work cut out for you! I imagine you all spend much of your time fighting, then?
no subject
Much of it, yes. While we are afforded some time thanks to Eden's invisibility cloaking technology, we do still need to go out and fight against bigger threats that could become a problem for Eden. We've been fighting for many years now, in the hopes of keeping Eden a safe haven for any who are able to make it to us.
It's well worth it, however. Eden is able to produce food in perpetuity, and our healthcare is second to none in my own world. It may be an endless battle, but it's one we are glad to fight to protect our paradise.
[Dorothy pauses, though, a little intentionally but also not. She seems to consider something...]
You know, if we're able to get back home at a reasonable time...provided we're able to travel across worlds, perhaps I could put in a good word for you with Cecil or some of my squadmates. Perhaps we could see about modifying that rifle of yours?
If you would be willing to trust us with such a thing, of course.
no subject
My weapon is state-of-the-art and cost quite a pretty gald - but for an upgrade like that? I'd have to be a fool to say no.
[Travelling between worlds... What a wild idea. Almost as wild as the idea that he'll have anything to go back to.]
But let's save that for once we've figured out how to get home, ja? Certainly something worth looking forward to, though!
no subject
You're quite right; best not to count our chickens before they hatch. Even so, I do look forward to doing business with you, sir.
[Dorothy gives a polite curtsy. Sure, he may be a wretched human, but he's useful. The least she can do is be respectful.]
Ah, before I forget...you may call me Dorothy. How very rude of me not to introduce myself. Might I have your name, sir?
no subject
Oh nonsense, it didn't occur to me either, you're fine. [Handwave!] My name is Yeager; pleased to meet you, miss Dorothy.