imaginarylogs | extra mission log 1 : the island of dancing animals

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extra mission log 1 : the island of dancing animals

"Being a detective in real life isn't like it is in stories. I can't solve this one alone."

A New Transmission.

[On the evening of August 8, the network finally cracks to life with one very frantic message.]

"Hello sirs! I finally got this thing working — or it started working, I'm not sure it was me — anyway, I'm — I'm Angus McDonald! I'm a detective. S-some of you know me, you worked together to help me solve a mystery and I — I need your help again.

Something's missing, um, in my head. Memories. I know I should know some things, but when I reach for them they're gone. There's a Relic on this island, I know that much, but I don't know where or what it is. I don't know where the Director is, or the Bureau, and I don't know where the Hunger is but I know — I know it's out there. It's close. It's coming.

If you can hear me, if you can help me, please come find me. I know we can figure this out, but being a detective in real life isn't like it is in stories. I can't solve this one alone."

The Island of Dancing Animals.

The island of Baisla has been hospitable to you Reclaimers for the past few weeks, its Animalian hosts eager to share knowledge, housing, food, and work with your seemingly-shipwrecked souls. The menagerie wastes no time introducing Reclaimers (and, for some reason, a few Lyrabar socialites and pirates) to their vibrant music, energetic dancing, enhanced technomancy, and magical connection with the runestone beasts of the southern ruins. Though there has been no sign of any member of the Bureau of Balance while you've been here (and no one to brief you on a mission, of course), a light appears in the form of some direction from one Angus McDonald.

The mysteries don't stop with you, either. As beautiful as this island is, there are certain... oddities.... such as the shimmering barrier that surrounds the water at all times, keeping everyone in. Or the Gilded Wall, rumored to hold back a terrible evil.... or the glitches that seem to keep cropping up. It seems every moment spent here is accompanied by a newer, fresh mystery. Some questions loom more than others, though: Will your investigations uncover the secrets behind this island and your — and Angus's — lost memories? Or will your search for the last Relic leave you marooned?

G-G-G-Glitching

By now you've noticed those strange glitch-like images all around you on the island; fruits that don't quite "load" correctly and instead display fruit-shaped static; otherwise-ordinary-looking but immaterial trees and lampposts with miscolored squares and rectangles pieced out of them; even natural stone walls that can't be climbed as they display nothing but what appears to be a warped, miscolored stone-texture; and so on.

The more adventurous Animalians have discovered that using different path actions can fix these glitches (or worsen them, depending). They don't have much other intel on them, but tampering with the glitches seen around the island may lead to some.... interesting outcomes... Success will certainly earn the gratitude of the Animalians, who would really like their island to not look like a heat-damaged VHS tape.

A Wall of Gold

Some of you may have encountered the consecrated Gilded Wall and its strange magic-dampening properties as you've gotten the lay of the land. It's a pretty noticeable landmark, both opulent and foreboding. The Animalians have discouraged you from getting too close, referring only vaguely to its necessity in keeping the residents of Baisla safe. Some of them don't seem to want to talk about it, in the sense that speaking of evil gives the evil power. Some of them, though, just don't understand the history well enough to explain it.

But there is someone on the island who understands the history, because he was there to see it: Elder Marinero, who the Animalians may eventually point you towards if you're particularly persistent in asking after the Gilded Wall. However, if you try to ask him about it in Common, you may be out of luck; he only speaks Animalian! Magic and old-fashioned studying will certainly be a boon in communications with this stubborn old bat. If the Elder is a bust, it's possible to get past the fussy Animalians to investigate the Gilded Wall yourself. Try to test your magic by the wall again, and you'll find that it's working now. Surely someone can figure out what's got the islanders so spooked about this great golden landmark.

A History in Ruins

On the other hand, maybe the Strange Ruins will have a hint on your current predicament. They're a wonderful experience for the academically-inclined, regardless of your interest (or lack thereof) in the Gilded Wall. Animalian archaeologists and tourists from Lyrabar are a common sight at the Strange Ruins, both groups often being guided by Professor Jerry or his assistant, Kipper. Prof. Jerry explains that these ruins are what Animalians have based their practice of magic on for all of recorded history; they're much older than even Elder Marinero! You can enjoy the sights with the tourists or lend a hand to the archaeologists--including Angus, whose sharp detective instincts have led him to the murals in these ruins. He doesn't know why, but these images call to him. He's certain they have something to do with his missing memory and the location of the Relic! Perhaps deciphering some of these images will help him solve this mystery. Or at least (re)teach you some pretty cool path actions!

Runestone Rubble

If you want old stuff that's less academic, check out the Coliseum. You can watch all kinds of cool fights here--or participate in them! Of note are the large, animal-like creatures made of glowing stone, which feature in many of the challenges. They say the eccentric magpie K.V. of K.V. Labs is the resident expert on these beasts, as well as the rest of the magitech on Baisla. It might be worth paying the lab a visit if you're curious about the nuts and bolts of it all--but if the Coliseum is your kind of place, you're probably more interested in punching than studying!

Thankfully, you're allowed to do that. Respected Baisla warriors and fearsome magitech beasts are happy to meet you in battle to test your mettle. You can fight your fellow Reclaimers here too, for fun and bragging rights. Victors are rewarded with a variety of prizes, though you never know what you're going to get. And the experience of battle is its own reward, paying dividends in keeping your mind and body sharp. Maybe you'll even learn something about the beasts or gain some loyal fans with your performance in the fights. There are three potential routes you can take: fighting your fellow Reclaimers for some clout, fighting the island's elite Animalian warriors for a variety of rewards, and the most difficult (but exciting) battles of all: taking on the magitech beasts and their handlers, something even most respected Baisla warriors fall short of accomplishing. The rules of the Coliseum are as follows:

1.) Show respect and good sportsmanship.
2.) Only those signed up may fight--no outside help once the battle has begun.
3.) Nonlethal bouts only. A victor is declared once surrender or incapacitation occurs.

Island Hospitality.

Cafe Calamari

The Bureau of Balance is missing, which includes Bender! How will you ever get your magical grub on?

At Café Calamari, of course! For some reason, Chef Miso Fou is here smack dab in a saltwater lake in the middle of the island. His cute little swim-up tiki bar caters to the Reclaimers especially with a very familiar menu, as well as a few new courses and the exciting potential of new dishes, should you request them! The aesthetic really seems to vibe with the tourists that flock to it, though the food is not always to everyone's taste.

...But something's a bit strange there, or rather, someone. A goose named Ronaldo paces around the area trying to get the attention of newcomers and convince them of weirdo conspiracy theories about the lake under Miso Fou's bar!! He carries around crayon drawings of otherwise-normal-looking jellyfish with pictures projected in their domes, but most Animalians and tourists alike pay Ronaldo no mind. He's well-known for his... unorthodox ramblings. Could there really be something to his suspicions? The locals certainly don't think so!

Boardwalk Boogie

Looking for supplies, food, or perhaps even a job? Head down to the Brightway Boardwalk for just that! Night and day, the island's economic hub is always at least simmering with excitement, if not bubbling over! Especially with all these tourists and new folk around to entertain. Located just behind most of the seaside cabanas, the Brightway Boardwalk is more than just a bunch of studios, businesses, and fish markets; it also hosts the grounds for the seasonal Dance Competition.

The Boardwalk Boogie Band plays nearly every day at the Boardwalk Square, where one can usually find the island's mayor-of-sorts, a cow named Lola. A tall Astrologian in a starry cape, she makes a cutting figure... if not elusive. Lola might actually be a bit hard to get a hold of, what with a new Dance Competition coming up. If you manage to stop her, she'll simply urge you to join in; after all, non-locals have a place in the competition as well! Dance teams are limited to 3 people for out-of-island entries. You have plenty of time to practice before the big Boardwalk Boogie night, which starts at sunset and ends at sunrise. It seems like Boogie Night is all the island can talk about and studios are even offering free classes lately. Why not jump in and learn to dance?

...Unless you aren't interested, of course. That's just fine! The boardwalk connects to the harbor, where Captain Baxley and his mixed-bag crew pull in the island's share of fish every day. They seem a bit disoriented by being unable to sail out as far as they usually do, but the fishing fare near the shore is just as well. They'll certainly put you to work if you seem bored or they need the help! The fish market caters to early risers and the sea-side taverns cater to late sleepers. Here is where you'll find experts in a wider variety of paths, and even a few fox Vulpish who might be willing to train with a Reclaimer or two.

Scenic Spots

If you're still looking for more places to hit up, there's still quite the array of areas! Academics can refresh their path actions or read up on Baisla at the Roswell Center, a hospital up north that also hosts a pretty good library and all sorts of studies. Just to the west of the center is the scenic natural resort Las Cascadas, or the Cascades. Though most of this smaller island is simply a lush, naturally-organized paradise perfect for relaxing and hanging with platypuses, the highest areas of the Cascades also provide a vantage point where the curious can see the dark mist past the Gilded Wall.

For the more hunting-and-monster-fighting-oriented explorer, the Foggy Forest on the mainland is home to huntable animals and animal hybrids such as frog-squirrels and raccoon-crows. Once you deal with the glitches, the forest also bears the fruits the Animalians love so much; you might be able to strike a sweet deal if you offer them for trade! They will warn you, however, not to venture too far into the forest....

On the outer islands lay Miaoteo's Workshop, where Reclaimers in need of equipment can trade fish for weapons made right in front of them; Elder Marinero's house where Animalians gather for oral retellings of their history; and even an unclaimed island perfect for camping. Try to avoid that last island if you don't want trouble, though; the pirates lurking there don't seem as friendly as those on the mainland.

Check out more to explore on these areas in our Setting Information page!

Island Wilds.

The Crystal Lagoon

Surrounding the main island is the Crystal Lagoon, picturesque still waters full of gorgeous reefs that resemble crystal, which are teeming with docile wildlife like gentle sharks and jellyfish. The ecosystem here is bountiful and full of life -- ideal for the Reclaimer who wants to study, or just cool off and relax. The locals will shoo you off if they see you making too much of a splash, as they prefer these waters remain undisturbed!

It's curious, though. With so much algae and reef underwater, one would expect the waters to be more on the shallow side -- but if a Reclaimer chooses to dive down, they may discover that the waters run much deeper than they might expect. The water itself becomes darker, murkier, as they stray from the coral...

Curious indeed.

Deep Foggy Forest

No Animalian would dare wander here, as there are whispers of terrible creatures lurking within and other strange happenings... But if any Reclaimer should venture out here against their advice, they'll find a peculiar atmosphere, indeed. Despite being part of the Foggy Forest, there's a marked difference in the visuals alone. The foliage itself almost seems to be hostile: denser, more like a jungle, gnarled and threatening to trip you at every turn. The fog pervades, making it difficult to see more than five feet in front of you. Even some of the trees seem to be in decay.

The glitches, too, are more threatening in this place: black sap, glowing fruit, vines that clip through the ground and grab you, patches of quicksand that seize you the second you make a wrong step, insects much larger than you’d ever expect to see them, and so forth.

Worse than that, the further in you go, the more you may feel as though you're being watched -- every so often, you catch sight of something monstrous and grotesque in the corner of your eye -- but as soon as you move your head, it's gone. Strange, indistinguishable whispers fill your ears, just louder than the buzzing of insects, and well. Best to be alert. Most creatures you may encounter are not hostile, but the more time you spend here, the less the forest seems to tolerate you. Your luck may not last so long.

Tread lightly, Reclaimers.

Whispers in the Water

Speaking of peculiar happenings, there seems to be more strange happenings afoot. Or... aswim, rather. If a Reclaimer should be swimming around Miso Fou's Bar, the Crystal Lagoon, or the Cascades, they may find themselves hearing voices.

Some unfamiliar, some familiar -- some so familiar, actually, that Reclaimers may hear words they could have sworn they've either said themselves or heard another say to them -- giving them the strangest sense of deja vu.

The voices subside just as abruptly as they began, leaving the source difficult to identify.

A note from your Navigators.

Welcome, Reclaimers, to your first Extra Mission Log! Thank you for sticking with us! We hope you'll enjoy the plans we have for you in this mysterious adventure to find Lucretia and the missing Relic.

We have a couple of fun signups available here, including a special NPC interaction! These particular signups will be open until August 13th at 9PM EST. Regular NPC interactions can be found here!

For adventure rolls head over here and to order food from Miso Fou, head over here! Please direct any questions here!

Thanks for playing, and happy navigating!

NAVIGATION ⯈

code bases by tricklet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ exploring the flora }

[ Christine figures that she may as well get down to using these Chemist skills since she has them and goes on a trek around the island to examine the plant life. It doesn't take long before she finds a plant that can provide a great many things and she collects a bunch to start whipping up potions and the like. Find her in her cabana where she's making her concoctions or find her later out on the boardwalk where she's happy to hand out small bottles of insect repellent and pain reliever.

Later on, she ventures to the fringes of the Foggy Forest, wondering just what might be found inside. It might be nice to have company in case things get dangerous. ]

{ roswell center }

[ The ease with which she's granted numerous first aid kits is surprising, but Christine isn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she's quick to pack them away in her bag for later. Surely one of the Reclaimers will do something foolish and will need a nurse like her. ]

Excuse me? I heard there was a library here. Could I check it out?

[ That request is also granted without fuss and soon Christine is pouring through the books with a look of focus on her face. Unfortunately, the contents aren't really giving her what she's looking for and she shuts the last book with an audible sigh before seeing she's not alone. ]

Have you found anything about the history of this place that isn't so boring it'll put you to sleep?

{ wildcard }

[ I'm down for anything! Want to drag Christine into trouble? Have her bail you out of it? Go ahead and leave a starter or hit me up at fairandbright or megan#2520 on discord!]

please don't reply to this comment until i edit in more prompts based on rng results.

[Sans's half of the cabana is already starting to get messy--he tends to leave things where he drops them when he's not using them, which means that there are various outfits of his that he's been finding around the island dropped on the floor and dangling on the back of his side of the couch, his super cool mug is left half-empty on his side of the coffee table, and Sans has just left a mess of assorted wires and screwdrivers on one of the beach chairs where he had been messing with his liveriverer like four days ago.

Anyway, he makes sure to move through his side of the cabana to reach the couch, grabbing a couple of those screwdrivers while passing the chair, to sprawl out on his back.]

You gonna blow up the cabana? [He's pretty sure that's not what she's actually doing.]

Edited (sans only has one liveriverer) 2020-08-10 04:49 (UTC)

[ Sans's half of the cabana makes Christine's eye twitch. Sure, she's dealt with messy coworkers before, and her roommate is a whole other story, but there's something about not having her own room to escape to that's making this hard to deal with. But she doesn't want her things touched anymore than he probably does, so the most she's done is nudge a piece of clothing back over if she thinks it's encroaching on her side.

It's been rough, though. She wants things neat and orderly, which is how her workstation looks right now. There's one of those little tins of flammable gel set on the coffee table with a rack on top and a pot on the rack. She's stirring the concoction inside and gives Sans a Look when he enters. ]

I'd rather sleep in a cabana than out on the sand so, no, I'm not attempting to blow it up. I'm trying to make potions. What have you been up to?

Checked out that lab of technomancers. [Sans pops open his liveriverer again, staring at its inner workings.] The tech here's different from this thing. Similar, but not the same underlying principles.

[Sans can't place it, but his memories are pretty patchy, if by patchy you mean there's like one piece of thread and ten thousand holes.]

I can't even begin to understand technomancy, so I'll take your word for it.

[ Yet this Chemist thing; this she understands. The potion comes together and she pulls it off the heat to pour through a strainer to collect the plant matter. ]

I haven't gone that way yet since I figured I wouldn't learn much. I checked out the library, though. The books are boring enough that even I lost interest.

Well, whenever I look at medical stuff, I just learn more about how super gross human bodies are, so I'll stick to the magitech. [Technomancy has a strange, familiar feel to Sans. He's figured out by now he has the abilities, but he thinks it probably goes deeper than that. Of course, he's not going to actually talk about any of this. The less people know about how many memories he's missing the better.] Looking for something specific?

[Sans is planning on looking for astronomy books later.]

[ That admission makes Christine laugh. ]

Trust me: plenty of humans are grossed out by the human body too.

[ Setting the pot back on the rack, she then gets to work squeezing any lingering liquid through the sieve with the back of her spoon. ]

Mainly the history of the island. How the populace came to be here. And I was hoping to learn about that big wall, but I couldn't find anything. I was told to go talk to this elder on the island, but I need to enlist a translator first and then I kinda got distracted searching for plants so... that'll be later.

[History is also not really Sans's thing. He thinks that this is because it's depressing, but he doesn't know why he has that feeling.] I was gonna check out the stars. You see how they keep changing? That ain't exactly normal.

Honestly, I've never been much of a stargazer, so I hadn't noticed. Though that does mean this island is somewhere not normal. I'm still wondering if this is all a simulation like the test of initiation room.

[There's something in that suggestion that strikes Sans as familiar and troubling--not for himself, but for someone else he can't remember. And so--other options.]

Could be. Could be something else. Get enough magic in one place and a lot of weird things can happen.

So I've come to find.

[ A frown touches her lips. ]

Magic's potential seems limitless; like it doesn't follow any rules. I'm not a big fan of that.

It's only 'cause you don't know the principles behind it. [Sans answers automatically, but thinking about it, he feels completely sure of this.] It's like--the laws of physics. When the real weird stuff happens, it's not 'cause there's not laws, it's 'cause we don't know what all of 'em are.

Christine considers that for a moment as she finishes up her potion. Into little glass bottles they go, and she corks each one shut.

"Now I kinda wish I'd thought to look up magical theory before we found ourselves here."

If I remember more about it, I'll let you know. [Sans is thinking about looking up more of it here, too, but that seems like agreeing to do too much work right away.] So, what'd you make? [Specifically, that is.]

Oh, [ She looks pleased that he's asking. ] this plant I found can be used a lot of different ways, but this batch is insect repellent. Figured it'd be helpful, although... [ She shoots a smile at him. ] I doubt mosquitoes have been coming after you.

Yeah, can't say they've bugged me. [Heh.] But if you need a place to sell those, I know a guy.

[The guy is him, and his snack shack which could become a snack and bug repellent shack.]

Huh. I really hadn't thought of selling them. Just giving them away to Reclaimers.

[ There's a pause as she thinks it over. ]

But it might be good to have some form of currency around to buy things from the market. There's no telling how much longer we'll be stuck here. Maybe Reclaimers get a discount.

You never know when you might need to buy someone's stuff back, or try out the deep-fried cookies. [That can't be at all healthy.] We can do 10% off for Reclaimers.

[Sans could be talked into a steeper discount than that.]

[ She gives him a bit of a Look for that one. ]

What about 40% off?

That steep right off the bat? You're twisting my arm here. [Not that Sans moves from where he is at all, or actually seems particularly upset about it.] If you wanna cut into the profits that much, I guess.

I can charge more for my more impressive potions in the future.

[ It's said decisively because she knows she'll only get better at this Chemist thing. ]

Well, you're the one who has to make 'em. [Sans will make profit easy either way just selling, so fine, 40% off!] Maybe I'll make a display for you. [If he does, it will be extremely low-effort. Probably, like, a box.]

Edited 2020-08-30 02:59 (UTC)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

extra mission log 1 : the island of dancing animals

christine | ota, will match brackets or prose

additional prompts

exploring the fauna - cabana

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