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imaginarylogs2020-08-08 08:15 pm
imaginarymods) wrote in imaginarylogs2020-08-08 08:15 pm
extra mission log 1 : the island of dancing animals
EXTRA MISSION : LOG ONE
Mission Dossier | NPC Information | Setting Information | Questions
| "Being a detective in real life isn't like it is in stories. I can't solve this one alone." |
A New Transmission.
"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!
no subject
+2 for interacting with Marinero
+2 for first place entry
15)
Yes, Lola does understand the concern over the glitching and what she assumes to be more of the Cursed. In fact she has an answer that she's sure should satisfy all of your queries!
She explains that purging dance you all mentioned is, as she's researched, was actually more of a spell. The truth of it is, even though Lola isn't really the magic type herself, she's in charge of keeping everyone safe here in Baisla and that means learning everything she can about its history and its magic. In all her research, though, she couldn't seem to place the magic of the dance in any particular school, though all signs pointed to it being some kind of radiant energy.
There is, as she has come to understand it, a school of thought that particularly strong emotions have a magic of their own. Things like love, joy, anger, all these things could have a magical conductivity, she suggests, and that school of thought also suggests that magical energy can be channelled just the same way any other magic can.
Lola is certain that this dance is, much like the gesturing spell-casting of the Vulpish, a means of channelling magic from the dancers' strong emotions. Their joy, their passion, their-- their willingness to look forward to a new sunrise.
Her research suggests that the purging dance existed to somehow eliminate those cursed, glitched beings. Early on in the Island's settled history, there were so few cursed on the Island that the few warriors that knew the dance were enough to fight it. But the cursed multiplied faster than the dance could be taught, and even if someone learned the dance, if they couldn't harness that energy in their hearts, it was useless.
She's sure if you spoke to Marinero you already know, the wall was built to solve this problem, and for a while it has. But Lola is sure that wall is getting weaker. She believes the Animalians are smarter and more connected and more positive than they were a hundred years before in the face of a new threat, and that this is the perfect time of the year, right after a festival, to keep Animalians' spirits high. Lola believes that they can teach as many Animalians as possible to perform this dance and purge all of the cursed, freeing that portion of the island forever.
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"Now does seem like the best time to band together and teach it. Does anyone know why the wall is failing, though? Or why the glitches are appearing? We saw a video one of our own took from the top of the wall. The Cursed came as close as they could, but with the anti-magic defenses, they couldn't even touch the wall. It might be a good idea to buy time by strengthening the wall while people are being taught the dance. No one can perform at their best when caught off guard."
She doesn't know if it's possible to do anything about the wall, but she has Marinero's back here. Christine told him she'd talk to Lola about reinforcing the wall, so that's what she's doing. Not to mention that it makes sense from a practical standpoint to have multiple plans in place, should one not go off as planned.
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Christine can talk about the wall, but to Rose, dancing together to communicate feelings and use that power to defeat an enemy feels natural.
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Nonetheless, the idea of just purging all those things sounds a lot better than just sticking up walls forever. "Is that the only way to kill them?" he asks, because of course he does. "Can't just shoot something over the wall?"
He mimes shooting, and then an explosion. With explosion noises.
no subject
Lola's shoulders slack, an eyebrow raises, and the very large cow woman lets out a laugh.
"Why, we've never tried that. I wonder how it would go," she comments, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"That wall has been up for a hundred years we've been well aware of all the useful, viable land behind it has behind it. We've tried everything we could. If you're asking a question like that I'm sure you haven't met the Cursed that escaped the wall."
Lola begins to describe the very Face-Stealer that Papyrus faced and spoke about on the network, though of course she doesn't know of his meeting with the beast. She recounts its ability to disorient people and the number of lives it's taken-- a number drastically lower than the number taken by what Lola describes as a form-copying Cursed monster. They're quite dangerous, and beyond that wall are hundreds if not thousands of monsters just like them.
They are pure necrotic energy as far as anyone's been able to discern on the Island, and that's why the wall performs as it has for your friend's recording. It's radiant energy.
But to answer Christine's question... no, no one Lola's spoken to seems to understand quite why that wall is weakening, nor has her research given her any reason why. Maybe it's because they still tried to find a way to get rid of the Cursed, or perhaps it's simply because the magic used to make the wall had a time limit.
Now, if they'd like to help teach the dance, Lola is willing to see what they can do. She'll teach it to their team in the morning, if they have the time-- or even tonight if they'd prefer. But then she wants to see how many people on their Silver-wristed team they can teach to cast this spell. If they can demonstrate they're able to teach their own friends this dance, then she'll trust them to teach the other animalians alongside her.
no subject
"I want to learn the dance," she says, looking up from her plate to meet Lola's gaze. She recalls how Marinero said the dance had to be truly believed in and she knows that in learning it she can't let the bleakness of this situation take over. They're here on an island with no backup and apparently no escape. For now, at least. All they have is each other.
no subject
Rose is just as interested, though more serious than excited, in helping protect the animalians and everyone else.
Of course, she also knows Michael has been acting really strange since he lost his memory, so she'll address him briefly as well: "You're really good at dancing, so if you helped to teach everyone, too, you could show even more people how good at it you are." He did seem to like winning, as far as Rose could tell.
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Rose probably addresses him at a pretty good moment. The compliment visibly buoys him. Really, he's been soaking in all the positive attention tonight! "Well, I guess I could do that." It could be fun! He sort of likes the idea of teaching, he thinks?
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She thinks they can do it. They show the drive and... she's pretty sure Rose has gone and drafted her first dancer, anyway. Lola's putting her trust in them. Things haven't seemed to escalate, so she's sure a week or so's time will be enough to get the numbers they'll need to make a dent in the Cursed's forces.
...But before she moves on, Michael. Did he say he'd encountered one of the two escaped cursed?
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"But you're all right now?" It didn't, like, eat his face off? Maybe they're not as strong in smaller numbers or something.
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Michael waves a hand vaguely. He'll describe the encounter in more detail: what he tried to do with his illusions, the attack and the sudden pain he'd experienced, ending with him blacking out. Which, technically, maybe isn't exactly what went down, but like hell is he just gonna tell any of these people that he spent a day thinking he was some kind of giant rabbit. If anybody saw him doing that, he's absolutely pretending not to remember that part; not remembering things is apparently his greatest superpower anyway!
"I'm fine, though," he concludes. Because obviously everything is totally cool with him now!
no subject
Lola isn't sure if the dance or radiant magic at all will do anything to the glitches yet, but perhaps they should test that out themselves. She'll be around to teach them in the afternoon tomorrow... they'll need the time to rest.
no subject
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Lola reassures them and sends them off once they're done eating. The party rages late, which is why Lola arranged for them to meet in the afternoon.
Your team rolled such badass stats that no further rolls are required for learning the dance. For one reason or another, Rose, Christine, and even Michael will find it very easy to learn how to do the dance itself over the following days.
What's more up to you is how fast they may take to learn the spell. It may prove difficult for Michael, for instance, to summon enough positive energy to conjure such a spell. And without testing the dance on necrotic energy around the island, it might be hard to see how strong any of them have conjured it.
However, they'll have the moves needed to impress Lola. She's reassured, and will allow you to teach the dance to other Animalians. The effects of this will not be immediately apparent, but have unlocked a benefit in the coming CTA.
After your lesson, Lola suggests you reconvene with your team. Lola, after all, may be sure about the Cursed lying there, but she doesn't know what else could be waiting past the Gilded Wall. There may be more to this dance in this adventure, so let's get exploring!