Futuristic Avarice:// The World That Never Was. [In-Character]

[Euclid Leaf]

Mission Board:
First come, first serve is the law here. Avatars from all around flock to cities and towns where these boards are located to hear the ailing call of the entities in this ever-changing world. These larger-than-life figures, heroes sent from the very heavens, hungrily seek glory and fame, fighting over the rights to the available missions as if their lives depended on it. And they often do. What is listed here is all that remains after the largest mouths are done eating. These measly leftovers are left discarded because they were deemed too risky, too unrewarding, or simply too crazy for anyone to do. But that doesn't mean there isn't something of value to be earned from them. Sometimes a gem can be found in all the rubble. Not that you have much choice now, do you?

Link to OOC: https://www.rpnation.com/threads/avarice-the-world-that-never-was-ooc.332351/
Link to Character Sheets: https://www.rpnation.com/threads/avarice-the-world-that-never-was.332350/

[border]
These quests are categorized by a few generalized factors, labelled similarly to that of all codex modules, and may contain any number of them:

[Search] - Commonly known as 'fetch quests' in gaming culture, missions of these types have you finding someone or someone of deemed value.
[Destroy] - The name says it all. You will be fighting for your lives, seeing to the destruction of whatever your target may be. Death is an alluring factor in the entertainment of humankind, correct?
[Protect] - Quite simple, missions with this tag involve the making sure an area, an object, or an individual is safe from harm.
[Discover] - Missions with this tag often require research and acquiring information in someway, whether it be about other Avatars, Mod behavior/actives, or some other environmental assessment. Boring at first, but not seeing what may happen a few steps ahead is half the fun. Is it not?
[Special] - Missions with this tag means that this particular mission does not follow regular procedures in one way or another and will feature peculiar objectives or goals. Go wild.

1. “Not Your Standard 'Fetch' Quest” [Search][Special] : Word is that a mysterious person has come into the lower districts and stirring the locals. They are looking for a few Avatars to seek out an item for them. The reward doesn’t seem to be promising in regards for currency, but they claim to offer something ‘special’. Most adventurers tend to stay away from these kinds of things because of the risk, and high probability that this was one of those 'trash' events that sometimes get generated. But who knows? Maybe it’ll be worthwhile
   
   
2. "In Search of Vestiges" [Protect] [Discover] : A distant kingdom known as ‘Arium’ has sent an envoy to Kantso and is currently recruiting Avatars in order to join them in delving into the Ruins in search of something unspecified there. They are paying well, but their strict policies have warded off many Avatars. But you've got nothing better to do, right? To those interested, Captain Leoneorra can be found with her convoy at the Kantso Air-Harbor.
   
   
3. "B.Y.O.G." [Destroy] [Protect]: A corporate mining company is recently having trouble dealing with a few local beasts attacking their their workers and equipment. They want them gone. Further information can be found at the company's offices in Kantso.
   
   
4. "Cat and Mouse" [Search] [Bounty]: Four separate companies have requested the apprehension of some strange rogue entity hunting and killing their Avatars when they exit safety zones. They call themselves <Chaos//Balance>.The companies themselves seem rather persistent about the apprehension of this dangerous A.I. However, after three costly challenges issued to well-known Avatars ending in failure, the corporations have collaborated and resolved to place this failed mission on the freeboard for any Avatar to attempt. Further information can be attained by an Avatar from the conglomerate after accepting the mission.

[/border]

 

[Euclid Leaf]

Spoiler: Part 1

"If no one wants to remembers us. Doesn't that mean we don't exist? Doesn't that mean we're nothing at all?"

Those familiar words echoed in her head again as the female Avatar looked into the mirror, patting her face with a soft round brush as she began to apply the first layer of foundation. It looked like she just got out of the shower, her short brown hair tied in a knot and her body wrapped in a towel. Faint clouds appeared in the mirror with each breath. While she was already naturally pretty, each stroke of her hand into the colors in the small make-up box, which bounced to the upbeat song that was playing from her phone resting in a fancy character stand on the counter top, seemed to elevate her beauty more and more. Soon, her expression was bursting with a vibrant tone and color that was impossible without the aid of cosmetics. It was a level of beauty made to attract the eyes of millions. With the final touches, glossing a deep blue color across her lips, she kissed them together and made a cute expression by winking and puffing her cheeks when she was done. She hummed in delight — it was all perfect.

With a snap of her fingers, the >Echolocators< materialized in a streak of pink digital spark on the crown of her head, followed by a louder spark as her trusty 'bubble wand' fell into her hands. As the rest of her outfit formed itself around her body, the young woman tossed the towel off to the side and untied the band, letting her wavy hair flow down. The bunny-like Avatar then struck a quick pose into the mirror, arching her back and spinning on her pointed tip-toes, swinging the highly dangerous weapon only imitating a cheerful children's toy daintily overhead.

She beamed at the image of herself, giggling once more at the excellent results.

The young idol looked down on her phone, tapping the screen and initiating a special little all-in-one app used by nearly all Avatars. She rapidly skimmed through the news, taking note of things such as new items on sale, local tournaments being held by the Guilds, and other random happenings in the city. She seemed happy to learn specifics about other avatars, stopping her fingers briefly to read a funny little article ranting about some so-called 'God' that has been recently griefing other avatars or reading the daily fortune-telling blog ran by the popular witch-inspired avatar, 'Salem'.

Finished with her quick life update, she swapped to her profile, her mood immediately evaporating at the popularity rating appearing below her name, >Maribelle<.

"Aww. Four points...? C'mon, I only took a few days off." she sighed, "A girl's gotta have some time to herself, you know?"

She had been lazy the past week, so this was to be expected, but that didn't mean she disliked it any less. Her rank was nowhere near the danger zone, but she liked to keep herself from ever worrying. In reality, she was rather popular compared to the majority of Avatars and it would take a long time for the players to forget her. Rumor has it, she has her own line of models and posters being sold across the world. Though it was a debate whether her creators were to owe for that; being as they were one of the 'Sovereigns', the most well-renown and powerful participants in the game of ://Avarice. Not to say the massive company had no part in marketing her fame, but she would like to think it was also an achievement of her own tenacity and hard work cultivating such a fanbase.

Yes, this was a game, a fantasy, a bunch of numbers and code made to dazzle and impress the players watching from the Outside. That fact was still hard to swallow, even after all this time. Only the Avatars seemed aware of this reality. Though even they, who were sent down as representatives, couldn't affect anything on the Outside. They were at the mercy of the players and creators that molded this world, who watched their little game play out. Just like little puppets acting in a show. Except this was much more like a blood sport than any innocent experiment. They craved this feeling of power and witnessing destruction. She has seen it. If they so desired, her creators could take everything away from her. That thought scared her the most, so she always tried to make them happy. Even though it was all fake, this was her own world, wasn't it? She loved it. She lived and breathed among the entities, who also had their own lives and goals. Not only were there fans giving her strength on the outside, there were those who looked up to her and the Avatars in ://Avarice as well.

Though there was once a time when she was more. Now she lived in this modest little apartment tucked away in some corner of Kantso. It was nowhere near lavish like the past, but it had its own set of perks. While she loved being the center of attention, Maribelle needed her own time to breathe and catch herself once in a while. She wondered if her creators were disappointed in that fact. But seeing as she was still around, she must still have some value to them.

"Guess I'll have to look for a big job to win back all my fans, and then some!~ Wonder if there are any new faces today? I love dazzling newbies with my skill. Oh, but I just wish they'd stop falling in love with me. It's so hard to reject them when they are so passionate..." she hummed to herself, turning and closing the bathroom door.

"Now the real question is... should I get a smoothie this morning, or a latte? Hmm, maybe even some frozen yogurt?"

...

Spoiler: Part 2

Somewhere deeper inside the Kantso, played out a completely opposite scene. Instead of the cheery casual daily routine of the pop idol >Maribelle<, this was a thunderous and robust setting that tore into the usually calm atmosphere that the city was so well-known for. However, this wasn't too out of the ordinary. The red glimmer of the nearby mission board splashed the air with a palatable tension, almost like the stains of blood on a battleground. It wouldn't be too far off from reality. It wasn't only about fame when it came to this game. Survival also meant having an ideal mission and acquiring powerful items from rewards. Without them, there was no hope of fighting the stronger tiered monsters or seeking out to challenge bosses. Even the most friendly parties would quickly turn amongst themselves when disagreements and discrepancies would arise over these dividends. Today was a particularly rowdy day as the sounds of conflict roared around. Even by Avatar standards, extraordinary figures that many lesser beings view as heralds of chaos in this virtual world, this was well beyond any targeted preconception.

A small crowd has already gathered around the Guild halls, an assortment of all sorts of forms and faces. Some were fantasy-like creatures with wings, which tired fluttering overhead to get a better view, and others appearing to be entirely and completely inorganic, small robots scrambling on the tips of their iron legs in order to see what was going on. Of course, among them were the typical humanoids. There was a stark lack of 'humans', in fact. This virtual world seemed to pride itself in its variety and exotic displays. A series of menus and colored headers splashed in the air as they gazed further onto the scrambling of shapes at the center, the Universal Law working rapidly to properly display information to all that were present. Entity and Player alike.

"Oh, it's that guy again." muttered a few voices.
"Wait, who?"
"You know, the one that's been demanding all the money from group-missions and trying to pick fights with everyone who denies his admission, claiming they are minions of his 'rival'. He even pissed off a few well-known Avatars."
"Heard he even tries to charge others for 'carrying' them. He doesn't." said another.
"Despicable. Does he have no shame?"
"Wonder when his creators will get rid of him. Having such a poorly regarded Avatar must be bad for their business. Even trash is less rowdy and annoying than him."
"Probably soon. Heard he's the first guy ever to earn a negative ranking."
"Seriously? What a joke!"

As these kinds of things were being exchanged by on-lookers, the center of the encirclement began to stir as two avatars stood at odds. Judging by their sour expressions and escalating poise, they were no doubt the cause of all this. One, a depressing-looking avatar suddenly struck a pose, pointing up at their opposition, an armored mercenary-like avatar bearing an assortment of guns. Above him read: >Challor, the Cyro Soldier<

Much like how they dressed and conducted themselves, over-dramatic and with far too many needless accessories, the Gothic figure spoke in a haughty and larger-than-life kind of way.

"You should be grateful that I, the reincarnated Limbo, am even considering your pathetic little group to take along with me on my grand quest."

The armored 'Challor' growled at this, speaking with a heavily modulated voice through his helmet. "Look, for the last time, you little punk. I don't want you in my party. We have enough damage-dealers as is. And you don't even have the mission rights. I do. 'Sides I heard you're nothing but dead weight and a dirty last hitter anyway. If anything, you should be begging me to let you in."

"Hmph. Such slanderous accusations! Whoever told you that farce was clearly lying." sweeping his hand to cause his feathered cloak to flutter, "Even for your blatant rudeness, it is a misguided one. I shall forgive you. And because I am a kind God, I shall still allow you passage with me. You should take this offer. No need to humiliate yourself any further."

"Yeah? So you're saying my information is false."

"Of course, only a fool would spout such nonsense and think themselves genuine in any way."

"Really now? Well." the armored man muttered, his head turning over the shoulder, "Hey, Agor! Are you hearing all of this? This guy is calling you out."

From within the crowd rose a huddled figure, clearing away bodies as the massive form swung themselves from their seat on the sidelines. It seemed almost unreal as the shadow stretched into the sky, nearly touching the ceiling above. A giant now stood in the mishmash of species and creatures, twice the size of anyone there. Taking a few steps forward, smaller entities diving to get out of the way, small tremors shook the ground as the mass of rippling muscles moved to stand behind the armored >Challor<. Within the looming shadow, a pair of huge burning embers glared down at the flamboyant self-proclaimed 'God' who apposed them.

"You callin' me a liar...?" they snorted, a column of smoke bellowing from the nostrils, engulfing the small figure. "If you is, we can fight 'bout it. What say you?"

Limbo nearly fell to his feet from the sheer force of the gust alone, quickly pushing his gaping mouth close as he tried to recover from the shock. In an instant, his attitude seemed completely changed. The young man quickly bowed his head deeply, barely able to stammer out a response with his now meek voice.

"N-no, of course not! I think we must be mistaken here. Even a God can make mistakes, haha... " glancing over at his phone, "Ah, well, will you look at the time? I'd like to continue this, but it looks like I'm late for an appointment."

The titan seemed doubtful. "Eh, to wot?"

"A-ah, important things. You know. So... er, Void Dust, activate!"

Before he could even finish his excuse, Limbo had already darted the other direction, having pretended to cast a spell and throwing down a smoke bomb as a distraction. At this point, it was hard to tell if this flippant 'God' was delusional or if he was simply socially awkward. In actually, the smoke had little effect at all and they could clearly see him haphazardly pushing through the crowd. However, it was quickly decided that it wasn't even worth any of them risking the popularity ranking to initiate a duel with cowardly Avatar, nor was the whole annoying affair deemed urgent enough as they really would really gain nothing from the wasted time and effort put to winning. Nobody would think twice about yet another idiot making claims around here. Jeers and laughter buffeted him on his way out, only making his pained expression grow worse. The young teen could only swallow the sour taste of the humiliation, cursing it all under his breath as he flipped up his hood, disappearing into the bustling streets outside.

...

 

[Damafaud]

[border]A hand was stretched toward her, and she accepted it gratefully. To say that the pull it gave her was strong would be an understatement. She tried to hide her wince when she faced the lion-like Avatar who had helped her. "Thank you, " the avatar gave her a small nod as an answer before talking with his party about what just happened.

It was supposed to be a normal rowdy day in front of the mission board, but disappointment met her instead. It was the self proclaimed God Avatar again, harassing another party who had accepted a quest to accept him. Lucky for the group the giant avatar scared him. She would be laughing with the others now if only he didn't shove her to the ground on his 'grand escape'.

To her annoyance, the mission board was crowded, more so than usual. Traffic to and from the board was temporarily halted when the entertaining event occured, and now avatars of different size and form flocked the board. She suddenly felt conscious of her humanoid form, plain compared to the exotic appearance of the avatars around her.

Runa left the guild hall behind and entered the shopping district. She should look for a party to join before taking a mission anyway. The problem was to found one that wouldn't mind to take her, an avatar with only 10 popularity points. The street was bustling with activities, while she can saw a few avatars making deals with shopkeeper everywhere. A small smile was etched on her lips. It was a good day to live, even if her popularity may disagree.[/border]

 

[InsaneAsylum]

With his hands behind his head, which was covered by an orange beenie, Swift looked over the remaining missions on the mission board. None of them seemed too interesting, except for the one requesting the capture of a rogue entity. Swift grinned, and crossed his arms. "I'd better not get myself killed." Swift said to himself. He slid out of the crowd that surrounded the board, and started slowly walking through the shopping districts. He shoved his hands into his jean pockets. It'd be best if he formed a group, or whatever it was called, for a bounty mission. If a mission like that is still around than it's likely that it's one of the harder ones. Having only been around for a few months, Swift had only undertaken easy missions, ones that he could accomplish on his own. Now was probably a good time to start socializing more. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and created a small ball of flame in his right hand. He started tossing it up and down as he walked, giving off a comforting warmth.

As Swift wandered, he began to wonder why exactly he needed to do missions. It didn't make much sense to him, but apparently being popular would make you stronger, and being unpopular would make you weaker, or even die. It didn't make sense at all, but Swift so far found no problem gaining popularity. Maybe it was all just a joke. How many had died from not being able to gain popularity? Swift didn't know, or care to worry about it now. If he wanted to be a hero and help people, getting himself stronger would be the name of the game for now. The first step, making friends. How would Swift do this? By being social of course.

"Anyone want to form a group with me?" Swift shouted. Many Avatars in the shopping district looked at him as they walked, but only a few actually approached him. Once Swift told them what mission he planned on undertaking, they backed out. Maybe yelling again would be a good solution.

 

[Damafaud]

[border]
Runa Winterfield
Shopping District

She had spent some time in front of a peddler, replenishing her stock of potions. Her eyes glanced jealously toward an eagle-like Avatar who had retrieved for himself a Potion+. When could she get one, she wondered. The street faded into a blur as she walked hastily around the district, looking for potential party members.

Some had rejected her due to the nature of their mission that didn't require a Negator. Others rejected her due to her popularity points. In some cases, she was beaten by avatars with better prospective.

Almost she had given up and returned to her room in a small wooden inn, but her determination forced her to keep looking. One more hour, and if I can't find anyone by then, I will return. It was lucky for her that she kept looking. Otherwise, she wouldn't see, or rather, hear a humanoid avatar in jeans, looking for a member. Many avatars had come to him, but all of them had left, looking uninterested. She approached him after he was left alone.

"Excuse me, but are you looking for a member for a quest? " [/border]

InsaneAsylum

 

[Sludge]

//Two (different POV)
//CS for convenience

Spoiler

Project Name: Two
Avatar Id: #A02


In ancient Rome, once a gladiator has been defeated the audience may call out to the winner to execute the weaker one. How often does this happen in an avatar battle?

Two, is an avatar that takes the form of a young woman. Her cheerful laughter and ambition have once reached the hearts of many teenagers across the world. It just so happened that in their thirst for excitement, the bulk of her audience could get surprisingly cruel at times. Out of her countless battles, many have ended in a death call. And every time, she complied, drawing her blade with an eager smile.

Until one day she quit the big leagues.
//killing is not possible in regular battles. More on Duels down below.


Appearance:
Full body [pic drawn for this character.]

Spoiler

Creator:
Darrsoft is a major corporation that provides server hosting services on an industrial scale. It funds the development and maintenance of several lines of avatars, including the one Two belongs to. Although the development team cares about Two, the decision as to whether Two is maintained or is up to the Darrsoft board of directors.

Persona:
Being cheerful and optimistic, Two often works for the audience without realizing it. As an avatar made for AvA sport (avatar vs avatar), she enjoys overcoming great odds and is very competitive. Based on an older AI framework, she is not capable of true empathy, which in certain situations makes it difficult for her to communicate with newer avatars.

Although quite open and by no means shy, Two rarely forms strong bonds with other avatars. She shows up, loud, confident, and then just sort of... disappears for a year or two.


Avatar Classification: Accel-Eliminator

Number of Loadout Slots : 5

- List of Modules -

- Signature Skill -

[Clone] - Cool particle effects allow Two to produce a tangible clone of herself. The clone is spawned with its cooldowns reset with the exception of the signature skill itself. The number of clones is currently capped at one due to the processing power required to maintain the skill. Provided servers to run the duplicates of Two's ai and appropriate popularity rating, the number of clones can be increased significantly.
[[Clone]] [[Remote control]]

- Modules -

[Warp] - 1 slot
Basic utility skill that is availabile to most avatars, but is often deemed useless. Teleports the user up to three meters away the original destination in any direction. 5 second cooldown. Forces a 0.5 second delay before the next ability can be used.
[Warp] - 1 slot
[Warp] - 1 slot

[Needle] - 1 slot
A cheap piece of sharpened metal of about a meter's length. Has limited durability. [Melee][Improved critical][Armor penetration]

[Visor] - 1 slot
A headgear that lets the user see extra information regarding the targets. [Critical spot read][Popularity rating read]

Age: 4

Origin:
Made with a competitive focus, an in-character background was not integrated as a part of Two's memory. In fact, "cybernetic warrior" is as rich as her flavor text gets.

Extra: - Duels vs Tournaments -

Although regular tournaments do not allow for avatar death, Two used to specialize in duels - an anything goes alternative to tournaments. Once both parties accept a duel, the [safe-zone damage absorption] will be lifted for these avatars until either of them dies or openly admits their loss ("I forfeit") and the other accepts it ("I allow for your loss").

Needless to say it is a very loose form of battling that is open to many loopholes and trickery. There are stories of duelists being forced to admit defeat when the other side brought in a safe-zone protected friend from outside the duel, cases of avatars running away from battle leaving both of them vulnerable for prolonged amounts of time, and even using system bugs to gain unfair advantage.

Accepting a duel is a big matter in this world. Due to attention it gathers, there has formed a community of avatars around duels. Many of them are willing to take on the risks for the sake of a quick popularity boost. But even among them, winning by killing is still very much frowned upon.

Once a well-known avatar, she had earned a questionable reputation within the world of Avarice for a rather imposing kill streak. She kept climbing through the charts until the day she faced an avatar produced by the same company that created her. Boasting better optimized algorithms as well as a capability for empathy, the avatar named Three started off its promotional launch campaign with a flawless victory against Two.

Without comment, Two gave up her modules for the most basic ones and left the popular battling locations. Couple of years later, she has a small following that she maintains by exploring the parts of Avarice where most other avatars wouldn't step in. Unknown to Two, her creator company is running out of reasons to maintain her server.

Popularity Rating: 56

Shopping district in Kansto offered all sorts of nice things, but honest prices was not one of them. Honest merchants, even less so. Not that an avatar in the shape of a humanoid rat was a real merchant. No, but to himself, calling his little business a "trade" just seemed more respectable overall.

Griss lazily scratched his stomach clothed in a dirty grey suit. The sun was at its highest and the "trade" was not going too well for him. The few avatars passing by were lured in by the tents, not so much by the shiny goods they offered as the refreshing shade. That left him alone by the road, sitting on the dusty ground behind a wooden box he had turned into an improvised table.

"Cup game! Play a cup game here, at this table. Three cups, one pea. Find the pea, win the credits!" - He yelled at the uncaring crowd like a respectable salesman. "Fair, quick and exciting. Cup game! Bet, win triple your credits!"

No reaction. Griss wondered if his "trade" was not as clever of an idea as he had first thought. It was neither fair nor winnable, for the customer of course... Perhaps risk alone was not enough to make the game sound attractive.

A female avatar showed up from behind one of tents, quickly walking against the flow of the crowd. She looked around in a rush, almost as if she was searching for something. When her eyes met Griss's, she blasted off towards him with a grin on her face.

"Sounds exciting, fella" - the female avatar slammed her hands against the improvised table. "I'll bet five hundred credits!"

She swiped her fingers across the air and brought up a system menu. A pouch of credits materialized on the table with a thud.

"Five hund..!" - the rat person coughed. It wasn't a large sum for the most, but still more than he could hope to earn within a week. He stared at the pouch then at the avatar, surprised by the sudden storm of enthusiasm. Above the rather unimposing figure of the cyborg girl, floating text said >Two<.

"Y-yes, of course," - he covered a pea on the table with a cup and placed two identical cups next to it. >Two< leaned in close and watched the rat person quickly swap the cups until he stopped.

"Choose a cup with the pea. Get it right and win triple the amount." the rat person said gesturing the avatar to choose.

"Eh? It is in the middle one, obviously."

The rat person lifted up the cup but there was no pea under it. He knew it wasn't in the other two either. It was a part of the trick. The other avatar frowned and crossed her hands.

"Erm, your money..." - The rat person started, nervously glancing at the coin pouch.

"Can't do anything about it now, can I?" She shook her head and gestured for Griss to take the pouch. Griss reached out for it but before he could touch the pouch, the female avatar grabbed his hand. Firmly.

"Unless... Lets do another one. A coin toss. Now," Two said.

"Actually I don't..."

"Man, a fair game is all we gamblers need, no?" Her metallic hand strengthened the grip.

"No, but I-I-I..."

"Tell ya what, I'll bet a whole thousand!"

"..."

The rat person stared back at her. She smiled back at him.

"O-okay."

"Good! I win if it is the side with the number, you if it is the engraving," - She materialized a single coin in her hand. "The throw is mine! Okay? Okay!"

"W-wait don't..." - he tried to stop the throw but the coin was already flipping through the air. It landed on the edge and rolled across the table until... it landed with the number on top. The rat person let out a strange gurgling sound. He looked up to the grinning female avatar.

"I... I don't have a thousand."

"But you promised to give me three times the bet in the first game, no? Nay, don't worry about the money," Two took back her pouch and placed a hand on rat person's shoulder "It was fun!"

Griss let out a shriek as the cyborg thrust him into the wall behind him, with the hand clutching onto his collar.

"Anyways, I am here to talk to you personally!" - Her smile and the atmosphere did not match up. "A strange person has been going around the lower levels offering a search quest. I know you've met the weirdo. What is he searching for?"

"I d-don't know!"

"What is the reward?"

"I don't knooow! He is all mysterious and, like, does not say anything! He shows up every night near the ruined coliseum. That's all! All I know! I don't even know what he wanted to talk about." Griss instinctively raised his hands in front of himself. He couldn't afford to be challenged with his popularity rating.

Two glared into his eyes and whispered "coliseum". She then abruptly let go of his collar. Griss breathed out in relief.

"Thanks for the game." - Two said before walking off into the crowd.



So there it is, Avarice, the world full of adventure. It is inhabited by avatars, beings who breathe, talk and fight, all for the entertainment of someone they will never meet. There is another world, the Outside. That is where the gods live, apparently. And this about sums up about everything that avatars know about the great Outside. But there is at least one, who dedicated a significant portion of her life to finding a way into the Outside. Her name was Two.

Rumors, stories and myths had led Two's quest through the strangest places of Avarice. And now she is back to where she had started. The city of Kantso. The latest lead came from the talks about a strange man who had recently started showing up in the shadier parts of the city. That is where Two is heading now.

Two walked through the shopping street, lost in thought. It has been a while since she had done anything truly fun. Not just fun, but fun that gets your ones and zeros boiling, y'know? Then again, a dedicating time to a distraction would not very rational right now...

It was then, that somebody called out to her.

@ anyone

 

[TheLoneRook]

R00K

"You can't buy that."

"Why can't I?"

"Well...well because it comes as a set of two."

"Yes but I just want that one."

"I don't...think I can sell you just the one...."

"Sure you can, watch."

Rook picked up the pistol from the display and cocked it. An error display flagged the word "STOLEN". Rook blinked then tossed a coin at the vendor. The display was replaced with stats. "Dual Pistols (Damaged)". He ignored the condition marker and slid the gun against his leg, a holster forming around him to hold it properly. He sent a lackadaisical wave to the vendor and was on his way.

The streets were bustling as usual, but people wouldn't watch if they weren't. Sometimes it was hard for him to remember what he really was, but then he remembered it didn't really matter. He would still live the way he always had, not much would really change either way. The streets would probably feel a bit more quiet.

Most of the other avatars just sort of ignored him as he wandered the market. His marker was working fine, and he was recognized in the system, but unlike most avatars he lacked the vibrant outfits and fantastic weapons on display by most of the more prominent characters in this little world he lived in. He didn't mind though, it made it easier for him to get by. He looked up into the night sky, realizing now he'd wandered into the "dark" part of the market. Avatars hustled and bustled, but the entities started to become a bit less apparent. It was the questing hour. He looked to his log. "Epic Cooking Saga!: Bread". He kept forgetting to buy the flour. He looked back to his map for where the cooking supplies were sold. The stores had all shifted from cooking and general goods to alchemy and poison supplies. He sighed, he'd have to get it next time. He started on his way to the woods to see if he couldn't snag some crap loot for spare change when another avatar bumped into him as she passed. She didn't seem to notice and walked right past, but his stealth passive in the crowd seemed to trigger some sort of skill he didn't remember and a purse of coins from her inventory fell to the ground next to him. He checked his abilities, he hadn't evolved since lunchtime and that had given him a kite shield. He shrugged, it wasn't the first time Evolution had developed strange effects. He picked up the purse, calling to the avatar.

"Hey! You dropped this!"

Sludge

 

[Sludge]

//Two
//Shopping District: Dark Market
TheLoneRook

Two turned around. A man, about a head taller than her, was holding a decently sized pouch. She walked up to the stranger and squinted her eyes as she took a good look at him, top to bottom. Simple clothes, but not simple enough to make it look like he was trying to erase his presence. His eyes did not seem to show hostile intention either. In fact, she failed to find any kind of an intention in them at all. >Rook< said the system text above him.

Two brought up her inventory.

"Huh, it is mine alright," - her eyes showed sincere confusion. "Then why would you tell me about it?"

She reached out for the pouch.

 

[TheLoneRook]

R00k

Rook shrugged as the pouch fell into her hand.

"I don't need much money. I already bought extra celery. I think I forgot onions though..." He looked back to the shopkeeps hoisting aloft nightshade and death's kiss. He sighed, dinner would be a bit bland tonight then.

He turned back to the woman. "Two". Simple name, like his. He wondered if her gimmick was being second at everything, but figured that finding out would be more of a hassle. He pulled up his quest log and flipped down to the next window, Tasks. He produced a somewhat simple quill and flourished out "Found coins". Listed above it were countless menial tasks he'd completed. Buy groceries, defeat goblin for small boy, find ancient relic. Oh, he almost forgot about that one. He pulled out a small rock from his inventory. It had not item title but only the tags [Ancient] and [Relic]. He wasn't sure what it did, but it was neat. He stowed it before he realized he was still in the presence of the other avatar.

"Oh. Did you need something else? I have extra celery."

 

[Sludge]

//Two
//Shopping District: Dark Market
TheLoneRook

The look of suspicion did not disappear from Two's eyes even after Rook's response. It seemed like she did not believe that someone would do something as counterproductive as returning valuable items to their owner. Especially since items don't usually tend to simply drop out of an inventory. Does he happen to be a stealing enthusiast?

"No, no," - Two said returning from her thoughts. "No, I don't need anything. Have a nice day."

She walked away, remembering where she was heading before. Lower levels, ruined coliseum, mysterious person holding a valuable item... valuable item? Valuable item!

"Hey!" - She ran up to Rook and tapped on his shoulder. "I do actually. I need your help."

Here is an idea. Why do the search quest when you can take the reward directly from the person offering it? It was possible, with the right skill. Two was willing to bet on the 50/50 chance that Rook had a module that allowed him to steal. Ok, maybe the chance was a lot smaller, but that would make getting to her objective just that much faster.

Wait a second. Maybe asking him to steal something for her would not be such a good idea. He gave the money back to her, so it is possible that this guy has a moral codex or some other useless bullshit installed into him. Two smiled and decided to avoid the issue altogether.

"You seem like a guy who, mmm... knows his way around questing and all that. I need help with a search quest. It is quite basic, very easy - fetch an item and all done. Coins from before? You can have 'em! Or anything else you want, really. If you are in for the quest."

"Oh, and I'll have the celery," - she added.

 

[TheLoneRook]

R00k

Rook blinked. She wasn't the best liar, but she didn't seem hostile so he figured humoring her wouldn't hurt. He produced the celery and handed it to her. He checked his quest log again, just to make sure he didn't miss something. He didn't have anything else to do, his next tourney wasn't for quite some time. That said, his UI was ringing up windows for tips on Sense Motive, which was enough to at least keep his attention. But he didn't have anything better to do, and she had his extra celery, so he figured humoring her wouldn't hurt, of course neglecting to mention that his ability to steal things wasn't something he had much control over.

He checked his pistol, adjusted the strap that held his knife, gave his hair a quick one over, a basic animation he'd never seemed to break.

"Where is it then?"

Sludge

 

[Sludge]

//Two
//Shopping District: Dark Market
TheLoneRook

"Lower districts..." - Two said slowly and glanced somewhere away. "Someone should meet us around the old coliseum... But don't worry! I hear the bandits have been staying out of the area lately. Its all good!"

She may have forgotten to add that there must have been a reason for that. Those vultures rarely pass up on a good place to set up an ambush and the major historical landmark fits the category quite well.

"There should be a tram nearby," - She gave the map a quick look. "Yup, a long range one. Goes all the way to the bottom."

Two headed through the tight space between the stalls towards a large building in the distance. This tram station was one of the many tall cylindrical structures that vertically pierced through the entirety of the multilayered city. Avatars used these to traverse between the higher and lower levels of Kantso.

"So, what's up with you, friend? Who are you? Like, in general and as a person." - Two took a bite off celery and almost immediately frowned. After that she kept on eating it anyway.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

Swift

Swift nodded, and smiled. He was running through the motions with another hopeful Avatar. "I sure am! However, most everyone has had to decline my offer. Not because of my personality of course, but because of the quest I plan on completing! Think your up for it? Were hunting down that unknown entity that keeps killing people outside the safe zones." Swift gave his speech, and gave the woman a better look. She was pretty good looking, but had a pretty crummy popularity rating. Maybe he should save this girl the trouble and tell her to move on. Nah, Swift was a beggar right now, not a chooser. He'd take a cute girl that was pretty crummy over a strong ugly brute any day. Apparently she was a Negator too. Swift had heard that Negators are incredibly helpful.

 

[Damafaud]

[border]
Runa Winterfield
Shopping District

She felt a pang of hope when he began to talk. He certainly was good looking, but his tone of confidence was something else. His popularity rating was not bad, to say the least. She wondered why no one had-

Oh. She should've waited before she made her judgment. Of course she knew about that mission. Rumours around the hub even mentioned that the rogue could kill an Avatar with one hit. They were just rumours, but every bit of gossip began with an inkling of truth. Maybe she should refuse like everyone else and look for a safer quest? The doubt that she cast over herself was futile. She wouldn't meet another Avatar who would be willing to accept her as easily as this. As they said, beggars can't be choosers. Or maybe...

"I am up for it, as you said. However, do you think two lone avatars will be enough for this mission? I am in no way doubting our skills but after hearing the rumours floating around..."
[/border]

InsaneAsylum

 

[InsaneAsylum]

Swift

Swift slowly nodded his head. "Your probably right, just the two of us will hardly be enough I bet." Despite saying this, Swift was eager to begin the mission now. However, putting someone else in danger wasn't a very heroic thing to do. Finding more people to help would be a good idea. "For now, let's head towards the mission board first, we'll probably find some more willing people there if anywhere, wouldn't you think?" If the rumors about this mission were true, than it would take a large party to defeat this entity. Of course, the rumors could be wrong, and it could be that it was a prank. Either way, they had a bounty, and Swift planned on claiming it. Hopefully this Negator he was bringing along wouldn't hinder him. Ten popularity points was quite unfortunate. Not that Swift had too many more to brag about. As he headed towards the mission board, Runa in pursuit, he considered who he would need in the party. One or two close combat fighters would be helpful, but a high damage Manifestor would benefit from the Negator while Swift himself acted as a distraction. A simple strategy, but Swift wasn't much of a thinker. "Did I ever ask for your name?" Swift asked, turned towards Runa as they walked.

 

[Damafaud]

[border]
Runa Winterfield
Shopping District > Mission Board

The Avatar left before she can answer his question. He intended it to be rhetorical, it seemed. After a second glance, her new companion didn't look really assuring. He was an Accelerator, a type she hadn't work together with oftenly. It might make for an interesting strategy, but she waved these thoughts away as she quickened up her pace to chase after him. It wasn't easy to chase after him in the busy street. She had to be careful not to bump into NPCs and Avatars alike, bargaining and selling goods.

Runa had barely arrived behind him when he shot her with a question. Of course he didn't notice her being left behind. "Runa Winterfield. But please do call me Runa, " she liked her name the first time she had been created. Now she only wishes for her name to be something more exotic. Something longer or uncommon might be uncomfortable to begin with, but it would stand out from the rest, easier to remember. Harder to forget. "I don't believe you have told me your name also? "

[/border]

InsaneAsylum

 

[InsaneAsylum]

Swift

"Swift, my name is Swift," he responded. As they eventually drew close to the mission board, the crowds had long thinned out. O my a few Avatars remained to pick over the few missions that remained. Swift approached with his hands in his pockets. "Right here, the mission. I don't know if you read the information on it yet. How's your change though, Runa, I'm gonna see if anyone else eats to join us." Swift stepped to the side and called out for everyone to hear. "Anyone want to help us take down the rogue entity that's been killing people?" Most of the Abatars there had already declined him earlier in the market, however one did step forward. They looked like a usual knight, having a sword and shield, with metal armor over their entire body. They were an eliminator. (Rip this poor npc Avatar.)

 

[Damafaud]

[border]
Runa Winterfield
Mission Board

The mission he pointed at confirmed her suspicion. He did mean to defeat the rogue entity. Not one of the small fry that would easily be a one avatar job, he was taking the rogue entity that some of the famous avatars failed to defeat. Although one part of her mind shivered in fear, a smaller, more confident part encouraged her to take it on. Certainly, if she beats an enemy known to defeat even the respected avatars, her popularity rating would receive a boost it really needs.

She turned to Swift, and seeing his effort to recruit more member, she started to look for some as well.
[/border]

InsaneAsylum

 

[InsaneAsylum]

Swift

Swift scratched the back of his head. "I'm thinking that's al we're gonna get. Let's get moving, shall we?" Swift accepted the mission, removing it from the mission board. "We can get more Information on this guy from someone in the conglomerate," Swift said, looking at Runa. "I don't know where that is though... please tell me you know!" Swift was a little annoyed that he'd have to go to someone other place to talk to someone about this killer. How big of a deal were they anyway? Swift adjusted his hat, and let out a soft hiccup.