Ares
Aeternus || Nexus
Alley --> Town Square

A cold front stormed out of the west and settled in the small town of Nexus – the initial town where players spawned upon login. A light sprinkle cleansed the streets in a rather cynical way given the circumstances and wet the stone abodes, lifting a scent that only the rain could bring. Fog was beginning to form and the evening was blending into the night. Bright, shifting lights could be seen across town, some the lighting of inns and shops and others the product of players’ overhead indicator – a small symbol that informed others of a player’s username.

Ares, the dark knight, an athletic male with a wine-colored cloak, a steel chest plate, and a dark, stainless-steel lance, refused to believe a single word from the email that, he, and everyone else had just received. Sure enough, as he brought up the user interface, there was no logout option. He stood leaning against an alley near the town square, his arms crossed and eyes closed in contemplation as to how the million active users would react to the news. The idle drops of water that managed to dodge his cloak fell casually on his nose and trailed before reaching the ground. He opened his eyes revealing an intense emerald color that could penetrate even steel.

Some will survive and most won’t, Hunter reflected. The sad thing is they won’t even know what hit them.

Hunter had experience with virtual reality games; he was past the initial curve which was where most players would fail, attempting to secure those initial experience points to level up high enough to survive. There was no point in brooding about what was outside of his control. Not when he had himself to keep alive.

He strode to the nearest inn to seek shelter from the increasing rain. His baritone voice, deep and forceful, emerged from behind the counter. “I need a room for the night,” he stated with a tone of coldness. The innkeeper, an old man with thinning hair and glasses, offered him a sympathizing smile, “I’m sorry, lad but ever since the mass email, people started pouring in to seek shelter until more information developed…we’ve run out of space.”

“I see,” was all Hunter bothered with as he shut the door behind him and stepped back outside into the rain. Poor fools, he thought and disappeared into the night.

---

HP: 100%
SP: 100
Level: 1
Inventory
Potion x4
Gold x10

Prince
Aeternus ll Nexus
Town Square

Splish...

Splash..

Splish...

Splash...

A yawn escaped in the middle of the dark dreary wet streets of Nexus, rain pooring down on the town filled with despair. However, unlike many, there was one who didn't seem quite as depressed as others in the Town Square. In fact, this individual was humming a tune as he walked around the Town Square in a large circle. Just about skipping through puddles with his hands in his red coat's pockets. His mouth shifted, shifting a piece of hay to the left side of his mouth as he absentmindely chewed it. His long lithe crimson tail flicked from side to side as his long furry dark rusty colored ears twitched.

"Oi, such a nice rainy day. The dark clouds shrouding the blue sky, the cold water pelting against the land and lives that reside in it, the several sobbing individuals that littered the area... Yup, a perfect rainy day!" The tall red haired man mused with a soft jolly laugh, briefly running his right hand against the bangs sticking to his tan face. Briefly touching the black eye patch over his left eye, he touched the bottom of his red hat which assisted covering him from the rain, but not much, which caused a little whimper to emerge from under it.

Grinning at the sound, he reached under the hat and gently stroked something soft and fluffy with the tip of his fingers.

"Now now you should be fine. You're nice and fluffy after all. Sorry buddy, but I think others need rooms more than I do. And hey it's not so bad! I mean look at me? I don't have a shirt and I'm fine!" The tall man laughed as he punched his scarred chest encouragingly.

Tugging at the ragged scarf around his neck, he hummed a bit as he leaned up against a building wall, pulling out a harp and started to play a song. The red haired man didn't have enough skill to have instruments be useful whatsoever, but they could still be used for some minor entertainment and he knew how to play a little back home. Better at piano, but harps are nice to play too.

Singing a soft song in the middle of the rain, it was a peaceful one with a soft melody. Now Prince was perhaps odd for not panicking like everyone else. It wasn't that he wasn't scared, sure it was nerve wracking, especially since he was now stuck as a man. Yet crying about it wasn't going to help anyone, but the best thing to do is to try your best. However, he would wait until the weather cleared up a bit before making any effort through this game... Or perhaps their new reality.

"Here does the rain fall,
To the tears and sorrowful cries,
And turn away from this world's call,
In this new world happiness slowly dies.

Do not fear my friends,
For your hearts beat so strong,
Soon it will be time to make amends,
So soothe those tears tonight and listen to this song..."

Prince sang in a soft sounding, yet clear and loud voice through the pouring rain as his fingers danced against the harp, humming in the soft tune.

---

HP: 100
SP: 100
Level 1
Inventory
HP potions: 10
Sp potions: 10
Wooden Harp: 1
Cinnamon Cookies: 5
Gold: 50

Prince
Aeternus ll Nexus
Town Square

Humming softly as his fingers danced against the harps strings, the one eyed man opened his uncovered left bright teal eye as someone approached him. A elf just five inches shorter then himself with quite the stunning color of green hair. Wearing the basic somewhat skimpy elven wear. Quite funny how almost every MMO starts of women models in such underdressed clothing. Then again, he was wearing no shirt and just a red coat to cover him, leaving his torso bare. So he could hardly complain about it.

As this stranger spoke to him, he grinned as his music ceased and his humming come to a silent pause as he pondered briefly on this question.

"Why hello elven beauty, quite a pleasure." he chuckled as his right hand moved up and mildly tipped his red hat foreword in greeting, his long rusty red cat ears twitching. He would have taken it off like a gentleman would but his hat was currently protecting his little companion from the pouring rain.

"Well to be honest, I do not know, these words just came to mind as well as a fitting tune. Perhaps it is a familiar song from our world, or maybe just one that resonates within all of our hearts in this time of dread." The tall red haired man mused, his lithe tail flicking from under the coat before he stood straight and moved closer to the elf.

"My my young Miss, this may be virtual but this reality has quite a bit of realism. You will catch a cold like that. That would be most unfortunate. Here wear this." Prince beamed his bright smile as he removed his large red coat before draping it over the elf's head like a hood.

Leaving his upper body completely bare minus the raggedy crimson scarf.

---

HP: 100
SP: 100
Level 1
Inventory
HP potions: 10
Sp potions: 10
Wooden Harp: 1
Cinnamon Cookies: 5
Gold: 50

Ares
Aeternus || Nexus
Eternus Guild Archive --> Town Gates

Rain was heavy in Nexus. More than the roaring raindrops smashing against his armor, it was the dampness of his cloak that annoyed him. “I can’t imagine how distracted one must be if they so easily bump into someone that’s not even moving,” Ares said, raising an eyebrow at the female player, “mind tellin’ me how exactly it is you know my name?”

As the female raised her hat, and upon him bothering to inspect her face to greater detail, is when he realized who she was – Aurora. Before Ares could offer her a response, a second player entered the alley seeking shelter from the pounding rain. “Lilith, Vick…” he nodded; he could see from the sight of his profile –through his user interface – their respective player names. “I suppose by now you’re both aware of our unusual circumstance,” he said, letting his gaze drop, aloof to their reaction.

Ares then scanned the darkened town square, looking for signs of others before fixing his gaze on two players; they appeared to be making small talk. It was difficult to distinguish specific features aside from the vibrant green and red.

He shook his head, elegant with an upturned nose, piercing eyes and almond colored hair that lay tucked beneath his hood. “I highly suggest the two of you proceed with caution, you don’t know what lies beyond the town walls,” he murmured. There was never even a beta, he thought.

Ares accessed his user interface and sent a friend request to both Lilith and Vick – she was his friend after all and the newcomer seemed lost, the least he could do was leave them with a way to contact a familiar player should the need arise.

“I’ve got some things to take care of,” Ares continued as he tightened the grip on his cloak before stepping out into the heavy rain. Might want to keep tabs on my player profile, never know when you’ll need it, he forewarned in the form of an ominous thought.

Ares calmly strode across the town square, passing a female wood elf and male buccaneer. He only saw them on profile but shot them both an intense gaze before continuing on ahead. Finally, he reached a stone structure that read ‘Nexus Guild Archive’ with a wooden sign.

Closing the door behind him, Ares approached a rather voluptuous, blond female that stood behind the front counter. “I want to register a guild,” Ares demanded without preamble.

“Heh. Good luck,” the female administrator chuckled, “you need to complete at least one mission – which you obviously have not – before you can register a new guild.” She was preoccupied with some lore text and had not bothered to look up at him. Damn formalities, he thought but remained composed. He headed for the mission bulletin board and tore the first sheet of paper he saw. He snatched a dagger from a player with too much time on his hands that was playing five-finger roulette at an idle table and used it to aggressively pin the sheet on the front counter causing the female administrator to look up in shock. Her face reddened when her eyes met the emerald hue of his. “I want this one,” he stated, with a tone that left her no room to argue otherwise. “O-of course, um…Ares,” she said, reading his username from her own UI. Seconds later, Ares received a quest update. He quickly skimmed through the details before heading out to the town gates.

“Eliminate a wolf pack, easy,” he whispered, confident in his abilities.

---

HP: 100%
SP: 100
Level: 1
Inventory
Potion x4
Gold x10

Prince
Aeternus ll Nexus
Town Square --> Town Gates

As the girl questioned him, the buccaneer simply waved his hand with a grin before opening up his user interface. Tapping against the floating thin screen and sending a friend request to the elven woman with a hum. Making a soft ding dong sound as the friend request was sent. His hands briefly rubbed his arms to get some warmth to them before placing them on his sides.

"My name is Prince, quite lovely to meet you Aspin. Don't worry about me, I'll live with a bit of cold. I'll just work it off outside or something. Go ahead and keep it until the weather clears up and message me when you want to give it back and I'll come find you when I can." The red haired man cheered before blinking as a man passed by them, only a few inches shorter then himself.

Despite the intense look the strange hooded man gave, Prince only returned it with a friendly smile and a wave, watching him with interest. This man was already attempting to make a guild and seemed to be going out on a mission. Interesting, Prince honestly had the same idea though was going to save it for tomorrow. But perhaps now was alright. In truth, the red haired man was a bit worried of the stranger. Sure there were plenty of people who could solo, heck he did it plenty before, but now there was a risk. Once dead, you stay dead. And there were a lot of factors in which this world could be dangerous.

Now Prince sure could be a goofball, but he wasn't a complete idiot. This new world made him question lots of dangerous possibilities. Which was why he needed to gain some levels, as well as build a trustworthy guild. There were the dangers of monsters, but to be honest they weren't the most dangerous threat. No.. It was them.

"Oi, well you try and find some cover now, think imma follow after that guy and see if I can lend assistance. Stay safe lovely Aspin, and give a call if you need me." Prince grinned as he tipped his hat before following after the kinda dark gloomy man, much contrast to the red haired man's bright atmosphere.

"Oi! Good handsome adventurer! May I join on your noble quest?" Prince called as he jogged after the man, soon catching up with him with ease, being one of the faster classes and having long legs. Briefly he tugged at the scarf around his neck as if in attempt to get some warmth but still held that cheerful smile as he walked up beside the shorter man.

---

HP: 100
SP: 100
Level 1
Inventory
HP potions: 10
Sp potions: 10
Wooden Harp: 1
Cinnamon Cookies: 5
Gold: 50

Prince
Aeternus ll Nexus
Town Gates

Before the Dark Knight could reply, the pretty wood elf ran after them, standing in their way as she asked to join the adventure. It wasn't like Prince was going to veto anyone from coming, he enjoyed company, but one had to do it knowing the risk and willing to risk it.

"Well beautiful, I sure don't mind such lovely company to go along with this handsome knight, as long as you know the risk." Prince laughed cheerfully with a carefree grin.

Soon, another woman wandered over and wished to join the adventure as well. A pretty girl in red with blonde hair, could be quite the seductress if she wanted to if Prince had to guess. She seemed to know this Dark Knight as she spoke to him with soft friendliness.

Grinning, the red haired lightly tipped his crimson hat foreword in greeting, ears twitching with some interest. "My my, another gorgeous lady joining our adventure? The gods sure are smiling upon my luck. Nice to meet you blonde beauty. I'm Prince." Prince greeted cheerfully, giving a soft toothy grin.

---

HP: 100
SP: 100
Level 1
Inventory
HP potions: 10
Sp potions: 10
Wooden Harp: 1
Cinnamon Cookies: 5
Gold: 50

Snow Wolfe
Aeternus || Nexus
Town Square --> Guild --> Town Gates

Morgana
Aeternus || Nexus
Town Square --> Guild --> Town Gates

Tim sat on the curb bawling his eyes out. Tears were streaming down his face, not that anyone could tell with all this rain. He had gotten the same E-Mail that everyone else had gotten, and once he read it, he immediately he immediately became panic-stricken. "Why did this have to happen to me?! This is my first MMO. How am I supposed to win?! I'm not ready to die so young! WAHHHH!" Alice, his wolf puppy companion sat next to him, nuzzling at his ankles, trying to comfort the boy; but it didn't seem to be doing much good.

"Oh get a hold of yourself! You're being foolish!" He heard a female voice say to him. Tim looked up and saw that it belonged to a blonde woman who looked older than him, and donning an elegant purple and gold gown. He saw the name Morgana on his profile. "I'm not happy to be trapped here either. I have a life back home that I would very much like to get back to. However, sitting there crying about it is not going to get us out of here any faster..."

Tim turned a bright shade of red, embarrassed that someone had actually caught him crying. He was certain there was no one around to see this. "Oh... well... um..." The young White Mage stuttered nervously. He kept his gaze down, and avoided making eye contact with this stranger.

Stella rolled her eyes as she watched the White Mage that called himself Snow Wolfe stutter. Another one of these guys?! She had gotten all kinds of strange looks from the nerds when she had gone to purchase this game. It's like they had never seen a female purchase a Video Game before. It was a little pathetic actually. Thankfully, this boy at least had a cute face... aside from those furry ears and tail that looked completely out of place with the rest of him. He seemed like the timid type, which would definitely work to her advantage. A dedicated healer would be a valuable ally to have in this kind of situation. "Now, if you want to have any hope of surviving, you're going to want to form a party. Fortunately for you, I have need of a healer..."

Tim stood up, and scooped Alice into his arms. The Sorceress did have a point... "Well... Um..."

"Perfect, it's done then!" Morgana immediately sent Snow Wolf a friend request, which the boy hesitantly accepted. He didn't even get a chance to reply. "Now, we probably should know each other on a first name basis. My name is Stella Gold, darling. It would behoove you to remember it. My family has a lot of influence where I live."

The way this girl spoke did nothing to make Tim less nervous. He shuffled his feet from one foot to the other. "Um... I-I-I-I'm Tim..."

"Timothy? Oh, that's a wonderful name!" She turned around, started walking towards another building in the square. "Now come along. The first thing we have to do is gain some experience. We are not going to get anything done at a mere level one..."

---

After selecting a quest from the Guild, the pair made their way to the town gates. They had taken up a quest about eliminating a wolf pack. Stella was not the least bit amused having to make that entire journey in the pouring rain. "Of all the days for some deranged maniac to trap players in a computer game, the game decides to have it rain!" The Sorceress complained. "All of this humidity is going to ruin my hair!"

Unlike Stella, Tim didn't really have any problems with the rain. Unlike a lot of people, Tim actually enjoyed the rain. He got this from his dad, as he was a meteorologist. Sunny days were nice, but at night, a gentle rainfall was always relaxing, especially at night when when you were trying to get to sleep. As long as there wasn't any thunder and lightning, because that ruined the mood, and he always hated the sudden loud noise and bright flash. Although he was nervous about it at first, he was looking foward to this quest. As his username and appearance suggested, he loved wolves. He just wished he didn't actually have to eliminated. Even if they were only game characters, they probably didn't mean any harm and were probably just looking for food.

Once they got to the gates, Stella saw that there was already a group of people gathered there. Stella recognized one of them, and frowned. Hunter Crux both lived in the same wealthy neighborhood. As matter of fact, he lived right across the street from him. Stella did not even bother trying to hide her dislike of the guy. He looked like a street urchin, who clearly did not belong in the same neighborhood as the elite upper class she belonged to. Even in a Video Game, his fashion sense was terrible. He picked the most tacky armor, and probably picked the biggest sword he could find, thinking it made him look tough. How ridiculous... "Ugh, you're here too? Why am I not surprised? This game is clearly has a vendetta against me..."

Meanwhile, Tim's face flushed when he saw Stella talking to the Dark Knight. What is she doing?! That guy looks mean... I thought we were supposed to be making friends in this game?! He wrung his hands, and started fidgeting around nervously. He didn't want to run into the crowd of people and make a scene...

---

HP: 100%
SP: 100
Level: 1
Inventory
Potion x4
Gold x10



HP: 100%
SP: 100
Level: 1
Inventory
Potion x4
Gold x10

Prince
Aeternus ll Nexus
Town Gates

Surprisingly, even more people seemed to arrive for this adventure. It was now indeed a decent sized group, surely enough for a good size guild even. This sure was a odd day indeed, but Prince didn't have much complaints. The first new arrival out of three was a dark skinned boy with short black hair, being shirtless as well. Like Prince, he carried twin blades but this guy was a Blade Dancer instead of a Buccaneer. This man introduced himself through name and class before asking to join and sending a friend request to everyone.

Without hesitation, the red haired man accepted the invite as he looked at the three inch shorter man with a cheerful smile. "Sooo like Vincent Valentine? Nice to meet such a handsome dancer, I sure don't mind the company." he joked about the name as he spoke in his usual cheerful. Life before two more walked over.

These two didn't seem as eager to join them, perhaps were attempting to do the quest on their own. The blonde who was one of the shorter of the group, blonde hair and seemed to be of the Sorceroress class. By the way she spoke to the Dark Knight, they might of known each other.

"Hello Miss, your quite the enchanting sight to behold this eye of mine." he greeted cheerfully once more before looking to the boy. The second of the duo was quite a small but adorable wolf boy.

Nervous and timid by just being near the large group.

A sly grin crossed the feline eared man as he moved closer and practically glomped the poor boy with his much larger body.

"Well hey cutie!~ It is nice to see a White Mage, and a adorable one at that. Hey no need to be nervous! I don't bite much! Here I've got a buddy that would love to meet you and that wolf pup of yours." Prince said cheerfully, seeming to have no definition of personal space as he used his right hand to tip his hat up, revealing a snowy white lump of fur.

The fluff ball shifted before revealing a cute wolf pup face, it's crimson eyes opening to look curiously out from under the hat that had sheltered it from the cold and rain. At the sight of the wolf boy and pup, it hipped eagerly, reaching a small paw out as in a attempt to swat playfully.

Prince chuckled before seeing another man in the distance wandering toward them. A whistle escaped the one eyed man as his tail flicked from side to side. "Mhmm people have more guts then I thought on the first day. Well more the merrier." he laughed, waving towards the man in the distance in a friendly greeting.

---

HP: 100
SP: 100
Level 1
Inventory
HP potions: 10
Sp potions: 10
Wooden Harp: 1
Cinnamon Cookies: 5
Gold: 50

Ares
Aeternus || Mystic Forest

The formidable Dark Knight known as Ares stood atop a wall connected to the city gates; his torn, crimson cloak swayed ominously amid the dwindling rain. Emerald eyes reminiscent of the aurora, a black steel great-lance strapped to his back, Ares regarded the two players that rushed behind him – the Buccaneer and the Wood Elf. He nodded in response to the chirpy Buccaneer before laying his gaze on the more timid female with the lime-colored hair. “Keep your chin up,” he said, “you’ll be of much better assistance that way.” His tone was withdrawn but he meant well.

At that moment, he received a ping. It was a message from Lilith. He switched to his user interface and skimmed through it but before he could respond, a larger group of players arrived including her. Stella was also one among the group which caught him off-guard; he almost flinched when he saw her but quickly regained composure when he noticed a timid boy next to her. Ares’ eyes widened. What’s this? He thought, he’s just a kid, he’ll be killed! Snow Wolfe, Ares could read the name on his user interface. Ares was unwilling to accept responsibility for the players that stood before him but at the same time carried a heavy weight on his shoulders as party leader.

“Our target is in the Mystic Woods; I’d say about a thirty minute walk from here, maybe less if you all keep pace with me. If you survive, I’ll honor your strength with a place in the Hellion Knights.” Ares responded partly in regard to Lilith’s and Sir Valentine’s questions but directed to the group as a whole. He saw as the player from earlier, Vick, scurried to join the group. Part of him was relieved that the boy would be close enough to watch as was Snow Wolfe but another side of him was too realistic.

With a cocky flip, Ares jumped off the wall and headed past the gates after adding the group to his party.

Ares maneuvered efficiently through the forest. By this point, the rain had stopped. Ares halted and turned his face slightly on his profile to regard his party. His mind began to do what it did best – strategize. “Aspin, Morgana, I’ll need the two of you up on the trees. Sir Valentine and Lilith, attack as a team, Vick support them with whatever buffs you can. Prince, I’ll need to make use of your light-feet. Past that clutter of trees up ahead are twenty-four wolves. Aggro them and lead them here. Snow Wolfe, stay with me but if anyone’s health drops below 75%, heal them. I’ll cover you. Are we all clear? I do not want to see any deaths if I don’t have to…”

---

HP: 100%
SP: 100
Level: 1
Inventory
Potion x4
Gold x10