The world that this young man entered was bright, mystical and full of myriad things to be discovered. Be they people, riches or something deeper and more personal, he didn't care. All he needed was an escape. A getaway. A release from the stresses and issues that plagued his life. Whatever may happen here, he was glad to experience it, despite it being nothing more than a silly distraction.

As far as what he actually knew goes, that inventory of knowledge and lore was dishearteningly barren. In this world, he's a wizard with strange accessories that allowed him new and strange powers.
He didn't even know what the world's name is or even the town he's in. This WA sure to be an intriguing experience, to say the least.

The character stood well over six feet tall with pale, alabaster skin. Snow White hair, about waist long, draped down from his scalp, reminiscent of a waterfall. Simple, black robes, gloves and leather boots were all he wore, aside from the obvious undergarments. The most distinguishing feature of his form were his bright, almost glowing violet-pink eyes. His hands, wrists and neck were layered with various pieces of jewelry, which all had shiny black stones adorning the silver bases, giving him a distinct look.

The man, who went by the name of Vincent, had just caught wind of a lead on some hidden, lost treasure. This piqued his interest, enough to make him smile.

"Finally, finally.." Vincent muttered, his eyes wide with wonder. "Finally, something to investigate. What a relief. I was starting to think that I was way in over my head." He said, mind racing with thoughts of what the treasure might be.

His fingertips brushed against soft fabric where there was once air, warmth crawling up his body as the heavy sheets materialized. Just having sat in a chair, he felt himself become vertical, lying on the creaky twin bed he’d become accustomed to. He waited for the shifting of sensation to stop before he opened his eyes and stretched out his hands in front of him, the leather of his fingerless gloves creasing around his hands. It always took him a few seconds to adjust after entering the game—a pressure in the back of his head lasted until he exited. He appreciated it. If the game felt completely realistic people would develop a dependency on it. Not that the game let them; time limits were implemented since the creation of immersive VR.

He threw off the blanket and went to his writing desk, grabbing his weapon belt and attaching it to his waist. He tapped on his pants pocket and a screen appeared in front of him with slots of items; he swiped through the different categories and made sure he had potions, weapons, and lockpicks. Tonight was going to be a fun one. He grinned and left the room, heading downstairs.

The floor was buzzing with patrons, and he moved to take a seat at the bar, waving a hand at the bartender who brightened and waved back.

“Hey Emerson!” The bartender approached him with a friendly grin, ”Anything I can get for you? You look like you need a captain.”

“No thanks, Rooke,” Emerson rolled his eyes and smiled, ”You know what I’m here for. And thank you again for taking care of this shift for me.”

“Yeah, no problem. You’ll have way more fun running around dungeons tonight anyway. Be sure to get the goods, ok? Don’t get too distracted by the social dynamics of the guards.”

“Hah! You got it.”

They grasped hands and Rooke slipped him a slip of paper before winking and going back to his other patrons. Emerson pocketed it and left the inn, slipping behing the building and into an alleyway. It was night now, and as he moved further and further away from the main square, where the popular Rhubarb Inn was located, it became darker and quieter. Fog creeped above him as he moved to the outskirts of the city—concrete turning to greenery—until he was surrounded by it. There was nothing but the fog anymore. He pulled up the dark mask hanging around his neck to cover his lower face, and smiled against the fabric.

His map told him he was near the Thorne’s Keep. It was a large, stone property located on the fringe of the city, with members of the faction being renowned for their cautious play styles. NPC Guards patrolled the area 24/7, but they would always switch up their routines. Being machines, they weren’t truly randomized, and Rooke had helped him figure out the pattern. They would be sparse in the right wing tonight, enough so that news of an invasion could be cut off with the right people. He had brought enough skill and items to do that—illusion and misdirection was his specialty.

He tugged his cape around his shoulders—the ends of it disappearing into shadowy tendrils lapping at his feet—and lept to a ledge in the back. As he landed lightly on his feet, a notification popped up and read “You’re now entering unauthorized area. Proceed with caution.” He peered in through a window; there was a small hallways with no guards. Any other day and there would be one walking back and forth without rest. He pushed open the window and stepped into the room and on the luxurious red carpet that covered the floor. He pulled his cape more fully over his body and his whole being seemed to become shadow. It would not last long—he had to move.

It was a bright, starry night above a perfect night for treasure hunting. Dressed in his normal garb robes and all and magic jewelery, Vincent was as prepared as a novice could be. He had gotten a tip from a local innkeeper, a very welcome hint. He said that it shouldn't be too guarded and that there should be a good amount of loot therein, which certainly made Vincent forget about that which is troubling him outside of this virtual realm.

He slipped out of the center of the town towards where he was instructed to go. The guards were vigilant, but he didn't ear enough to draw attention and his black robes, hair and jewels obscured his form. There were two guardsmen outside of the rear entrance to the building both standing still, talking to pass the time, or sleeping. Vincent watched from the bushes as the left man went on a patrol around the large stone building, and the other was making a half effort to stay awake during an otherwise boring and eventful night.

"Perfect. Down to one.. now which spell or incantation to use here? Sleeper? Or Bolt? I really shouldn't be using my battle magic until my life is actually at risk.. so Sleeper it is then." Vincent said, rubbing the stone in his necklace which formed a little, black ball that floated towards the man, slowly feeling it's way into his mind. In an instant, he fell asleep.

"Perfect. Just perfect." He muttered, a wry grin across his face. He rose from his makeshift vantage point and sprinted across the distance, pulling the key from the man's breast pocket. He opened the door, and left it cracked before he went to find a shadowy location to regroup and regather his thoughts.

"My first raid.. and I've never had more fun in my entire life." Vincent said, his violet eyes wide and full of anxiety and wonder.

There were doors lining the hallways, but he headed straight for the one at the end. the treasure was hidden somewhere downstairs. He would have to navigate a maze-like path to find it, but at least it wasn't in the opposite side of the building.

The door was slightly open, and he slipped a couple fingers in the crack and put his eyes against the opening. It was a spacious room, lavishly decorated with vases and murals stretching across the walls. There were a couple guards standing at the only door he could see, which probably led downstairs. Shadows still lapping at his body, he slinked through the door and kept at the side of the room, where the light from the windows didn't reach. He glided with the shape of the shadows and slinked behind vases, along the tapestries. The guards looked bored out of their minds, chatting to each other, not paying attention to the shifting light and dark in the side of the room.

He was behind on of the guards and pulled a needle out of his pouch, pricking the neck of the guard lightly. The man swatted his nape and grumbled something about mosquitoes and the other guard shrugged. They continued talking, something about in-game hacks, before the man started warping his words. He paused, confused, and tried again. The other guard looked at him bemusment, and asked, uh, I can't understand you man.The guard tried again and chocked on the word, this time, falling to his knees, hands on the ground to support himself. The other guard rushed to his side, and knelt, shaking him lightly--they paid no attention to the figure that appeared behind him--the shadows lapped at the both of them, before swallowing them whole--

Emerson stood in front of the door, a wicked smile on his face, and the outfit of one of the guards snugly fit to his form. His cape was hid under clothing with ease; it was amorphous and intangible. The guards had disappeared by now, and it would take them a while to respawn. He walked through the door with confidence, and he was in a room with spiralling stairs; he skipped down the steps, feet not touching the ground for more than a second, and went all the way to the bottom. He was in a hallway, part of a larger room which steps leading to the first floor, reminiscent of the entrance hall to a castle where people would hold balls--except not as large or glamorous. Capriciously, he twirled, feeling like a second rate belle. He grinned again, and took a step forward. He heard a door open.

He leapt back and crouched behind a wall--there was someone who had entered from the side door, who rushed to darker area of the room, also crouching. Well, that wasn't a guard. Too damned suspicious. Emerson waited from his position, eyes tracking the movement of the figure with the white long hair.