//EVENT033.EXE

[reparator]

//event033.EXE

What new and wonderful and exciting ViViD level awaits you today? What fun time will you have in ViViD this time? Surely it will be a work of art that CERES has been working on for months and months -- Actually, wait, CERES isn't even around, are they? Uh oh. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt. Error: Files Not Found

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I [ ???? ] This time, ViViD is a deathtrap. There is random magma everywhere, monsters will spawn at random, and at some points, the game is entirely unplayable. It’s like the dev team totally disappeared mid-constructing the level. Oh wait, that’s exactly what happened. Monsters may spawn on top of you, you may suddenly be standing in a poisonous bog, you may suddenly lose your powers, or your senses, or so many different things -- It’s time to get out of here, ASAP. Thankfully, the exit is obvious. Like. Blindingly obvious. It’s got a big sign over it that says EXIT And just like that, you’ll be out of ViViD and -- PHASE II [ 0830 ] When you wake up (and it’s strange, because you were sure that you were logging out just a second ago), it’s in a pile of bodies. They’re cold, but not in the same sense that a dead body would be cold. While they are lifeless and look incredibly real, they don’t feel real. They feel like dolls, mannequins, empty models and nothing more. Their code doesn’t seem to be functioning right. And what some characters may realize upon looking at this pile of bodies is that they are all of the characters who were sacrifices before. Any character that was dropped who had a high magical or spiritual affinity is there in that pile of bodies, lifeless and eyes blank and vacant. Even you might be there, staring at your own dead body -- but it isn’t real It can be touched, but it’s really nothing more than a lifeless body. You’ll have to crawl out of that pile of bodies to get anywhere, and then you’ll realize -- you’re in the Sanctuary, a building built by the characters as a safe place from CERES. And it’s looking pretty run-down at this point. The technology in it no longer functions, there is no security on it whatsoever… Oh, and now there’s a pile of bodies. Great. PHASE III [ 1000 ] There’s also a robot. It’s wandering from place to place, though it’s impossible to follow. One second it’s there, the next it’s just gone. Also, it’s wearing this. Weird. But even with that on its face, the robot seems focused on one thing in particular. In fact, it has a sign, and it says: Down with CERES. Up with Robots. That’s a happy, cheerful message. If you try to go up to it to talk to it, it will look at you before...bonking you on the head with the sign and running off. That’s incredibly rude. Alternatively, you may be safe and sound in your home, but then the doorbell rings, and there’s the robot again. The duck mask is gone, but now instead it has a pin on his fake lapel, and then he’s shoving a pamphlet at you. He tips his hat, and then he’s gone. Weird. (Also, if you hold onto the pamphlet, it will lead you directly to the person whose picture is on it, and you’ll feel like you’ve known them and have loved them for years.) PHASE IV [ 1245 ] But not all is fun and games and shenanigans. There is something...well, strange happening, and the first real realization of that will be when it starts to rain. More than just the localized rain that a few unfortunates have dealt with -- no, it’s raining completely and totally, and that’s when it might hit you. For the first time in Cerealia, there’s weather. It’ll rain for a few hours, and then it’ll stop and become hot and sunny. It may get humid, considering it’s a jungle planet. At night, it’ll get rather cold. Seems like whatever was keeping Cerealia’s atmosphere stable is now gone -- which also means that characters may start to occasionally experience headaches, nausea and dizziness if they go too close to the walls. It seems safer in the center of the city, and the Residential District is still okay, but… there’s no doubt that the planet’s atmosphere is starting to encroach on the city. BONUS [ why o'clock ] But who cares about all of that? More importantly, you are here in this… totally not shoddy city to have fun, and it’s still being advertised as a pleasure colony. Or, well, it would be if, you know, CERES was still around. But close enough. And as a pleasure colony, it would figure that the first robots to really get fixed are...well, the Pleasure District robots. Unfortunately, the Pleasure District is still a nice big mess, so now they’re wandering the entire colony, looking for people they can hug, massage or...try to drag into more explicit activities. Welcome to Cerealia! [ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ]

//RUN.EXE

Welcome to Cerealia's September intro log! For your convenience, we have compiled the characters' arrival experience here, and should you have any questions, feel free to ask them here! You can also check the FAQ for more general inquiries. Should this event log hit Captcha, there is an all-purpose overflow here. Thank you!

Comments

YO GOTTA GOOOO

[unionjackoff]

[his eyes widen a bit once he realizes who it is he approached]

Ah, miss Hino! [he's so glad to see her!] Same to you, as well. I heard that I've... been gone for a while.

[faithfulflame]

A month, perhaps a little longer, yes.

[Honestly she'd been pretty distracted.]

Are you well?

[unionjackoff]

[England can imagine]

Yes, very well, all things considered. Though a little confused about all the happenings. Several people have been kind enough to explain what has been going on, but it's still quite a shock.

[faithfulflame]

It is a big change. No robots. And then...

[She sighs, gesturing at the pile of bodies.]

This has been getting old. All these scare tactics.

[unionjackoff]

[Ah? he looks down at the bodies]

Have these... been showing up more often?

[faithfulflame]

No, no more than usual.

[Which that in and of itself is pretty morbid.]

But the fact that it's a non-zero number is telling.

[unionjackoff]

A-ah... Yes, that's true. [England pulls his gaze away from them, finally. perhaps they should go elsewhere, so they don't have to look at them] But CERES is supposed to be gone, yeah? How are they still able to do things like this?

[faithfulflame]

They are. And...it's not likely their doing. More likely it's their equipment either malfunctioning or set on some sort of bizarre contingency plan.

[unionjackoff]

[ah. that makes sense. if there was one thing they could count on, it was CERES' faulty equipment. he sighs] It's going to take a long time cleaning up after their mess. I wonder if there is a way to get into the machines and reprogram them.

[faithfulflame]

That would be ideal, but...breaking into the tower?

[Rei steps around the corpses towards the door.]

I think that's probably a poor plan. At least right now. We infiltrated again not long ago, and it was basically abandoned.

[unionjackoff]

[he nods and follows after Rei]

How has everyone been getting along otherwise?

[faithfulflame]

Well enough. The usual happenings of course. People coming and going.

[She'll leave out her own personal affairs, not sure England's quite interested in her dating life.]

Most of the robots stopped working, though. I guess they're back online now. and Mosely got fired.

[unionjackoff]

I heard about Mosley. [an interesting subject] Do you know if anyone was able to speak with him before he was... erm. Terminated?

[faithfulflame]

I...do not. But I doubt it. We checked his office and there was no sign of him.

[unionjackoff]

[he nods again. it was just as he suspected] ...It's frustrating me, actually. To know that CERES was able to disappear without leaving a trace. I'd argue that it's not fair that they left so many people on the colony on their own. But perhaps we are better off without them.

[faithfulflame]

Perhaps so.

[A pause.] On a more personal note, I no longer have an ocular implant. They malfunctioned some time ago, and a friend of mine removed it with a spell.

[unionjackoff]

Oh! That is good news. [England wonders if he still has his, or if he lost it after... well, no matter] What sort of spell did they use?

[faithfulflame]

Oh, it was a healing spell. I don't think I can replicate it, but I could probably figure out if you have an implant still. [Since she can't use anything like the Ginzuisho.]

Is your eye itching at all?

[unionjackoff]

[oh, hm? England looks around, mostly checking to see if his eye is bothering him]

I don't... believe so. Perhaps mine was removed.

[faithfulflame]

It's entirely possible it was never refitted.

[Then again, entirely not, as well.]

Other than that, not much has happened except departures. Merlin, most recently.

[unionjackoff]

[a sad smile as he looks down] So I've heard. I do hope he was able to go back home.

[faithfulflame]

I'm sure he was. Same as all of us when we figure out the key to it all.

[unionjackoff]

[right, the key to everything]

Ah... Speaking of our homes. Have the Flamines recently contacted the colony?

[faithfulflame]

Not that I'm aware of. However, we do know that CERES hired them to attack other worlds. Presumably all of ours.

[unionjackoff]

[o h]

CERES... hired them... [he looks disgusted to hear this bit of news]