---

Selena soon returned to the group, looking incredibly cheerful and satisfied after her revelation. To the others though, they might think that she was just that relieved after doing her business.

She watched as the group discusses what they wanted to do next. There was the female death knight, who announced that she was heading south, and that she wanted some company with her. Perfectly understandable. It could be quite scary to go alone in a world you knew nothing about after all. However, Selena herself was still in a state of euphoria, and she felt she could take on the world on her own. It was like that in the game world before everything became real after all. She wouldn't have any reservations on travelling alone for sure.

But before that, she remembered something. She had left her battle outfit inside the now ruined guild hall. She was now actually wearing a legit village girl outfit (though enchanted here and there of course), but her true equipment lay on display on the guild hall for everyone to see. And so she returned there, lifting and crushing the rubble that stood in her way. She noticed Senna doing the same from a distance. She seemed to be clearing the rubble just fine so she decided to leave her alone.

"Ah, there you are!"

She bent over to see the tip of her hexer outfit coming out from underneath a pile of rocks. Quickly, she cleared them all up, finding that her robe was still in a pristine condition, albeit a little dusty.

The outfit was pretty much a stereotypical witch outfit: a loose-fitting long black robe which hem ended at her ankles. It even had the pointy hat to accompany it. She could easily wear it over her villager dress, a feat that wasn't possible when the world was still a game. She wasn't sure if this meant their effects would stack however. That had the potential to be pretty broken.

She then looked at the staff lying under her. A hexer was supposed to use a staff as her weapon, but that simply wouldn't work with her cute village girl look. All the hexer staff had that creepy, eerie aura to them, including the one in her hands right now. Its tip had a floating black crystal that wasn't attached to anything, and it exuded a black smoke-like thing.

To make matters worse, now that Yggdrasil had become real, she couldn't store it in her inventory. She had to carry the thing around.

"Well, I guess I have to use my transfiguration spell..."

She disliked using that spell as it was an advanced illusion spell that actually transformed an object to another form. It required quite an amount of mana to be activated all the time.

Using that spell, she transfigured her robe into air and her creepy wand into a hair clip, which she immediately wore.

"All done!"

Soon after, she returned to where the others had gathered. The discussion seemed to be still continuing,

And then, a new person appeared from the trees. She certainly wasn't there with the others in the guild hall. She introduced herself as Yasha, and that she was similar to them, another player of Yggdrasil. She declared that she would go the big city after the plains, and that anyone of them would be free to join her. Selena hadn't had the chance to look at said city so she didn't exactly know what she was talking about. AFter that, some stuff about how this was all real now and how they could feel pain for real. All the good gloomy stuff.

"I'll go!" Selena raised her hand cheerfully as she leaped off the rock she was sitting on. "I think I can merge with the humanfolk just fine with how I look!" Putting her index finger at her chin, she continued. "I agree that the folks will non-human features might draw unpleasant attention. I'm not sure what you folks would do but I myself had decided that I would travel around as an ordinary adventurer. And that might be hard for the more non-human looking members of our group, no offense intended."

@13org@Rune_Alchemist

As the old world ended, and a new began, Sean's entire world went black. His vision swam, and his sense of balance distorted before disappearing entirely. He found himself floating and tumbling through an infinite void, aware of nothing but his own shock and terror. His mind reeled with possibilities. Had the dive technology failed in some way? Was this the result of the server shutdown? He even considered the possibility that his headset had somehow short-circuited and electrocuted him. However, after what felt like an eternity of nothingness, his senses returned. What he saw, he could make even less sense of.



Suspended in what seemed like a dimension between worlds, Sean found himself staring up at figures so immense that their form was nearly incomprehensible to him. Vaguely humanoid in form, as far as Sean could tell, they were made up of swirling energies and starstuff, their "faces" only malevolent red suns. Despite lacking features of any kind, Sean could feel their gazes upon him, a pressure so immense he thought he might be crushed.



Words rang through Sean's head, filling his skull with searing pain and wracking his entire body with such waves of intense pressure that he thought he might come apart at the seams. If he had been standing on solid ground, he may have fallen to his knees. Rather, he merely clutched at head, doubling over where he floated in the void. Was this a dream? Or had he died, and this was the horrific afterlife that awaited him?



Again, the voice spoke, but Sean was caught off guard by what was said this time. It addressed him not by name, but by the alias of his YGGDRASIL character. Was this still part of the game? It couldn't be; YGGDRASIL didn't have that level of sensory interaction, and even if it did, it was almost certainly a malfunction to cause him this level of discomfort. He looked down at his hands, and noticed for the first time that they felt exactly like his own. Flesh and blood, despite being the slender, ivory digits of Azoth Baal. The pieces began to fall together in his mind.



Sean wracked his mind, trying to comprehend the situation he found himself in. It then occurred to him in a flash of inspiration that if he could not make sense of this as Sean Wiseman, he would have to approach the situation as Azoth Baal. He straightened out and gazed up to the otherworldly beings that stared down at him.

"What would you ask of me?" He called out in a voice of command.



There may have been different entities addressing him, but Sean, or rather, Azoth could not distinguish between them. Still this seemed to be working. Whatever they were, they were responsive to him in a way that the so-called gods in YGGDRASIL never had been. He swallowed, trying to think of how to respond.

"And if I refuse?"



Favored daughter? Azoth struggled to think what they could mean by this. However, he was not given long to ponder, as he was at once thrust back into a reality that he better understood. Gone were the stars and the void, and in its place was the guildhall that he stood in just before the server shutdown. However, it stood in ruins, apparently the site of some great battle. The other players were nowhere to be found, and Azoth knelt alone in the rubble. How long had he lingered in that forsaken place, with those dark masters?

A feminine voice whispered sweetly into his brain, breaking him from his thoughts, "Now, my master. Let us begin the Great Work. In this, I shall be your most trusted partner. Your mightiest ally. Your most loyal confidant. Your most watchful observer." The voice faded away as it laughed cruelly.

Azoth felt (felt! such an alien experience from what he was used to in these settings) a malevolent presence, practically upon him. It hung at his hip, cold as death and as dark as a starless sky. He realized then that not only had the Masters of the Void become all too real, it was their agent as well that had become bonded to him: Stormsorrow, the Daughter of the Void.

@13org

Spooky shook his head to unmask the soil that covered his skull, looking confused, but also happily surprised with hearing a familiar voice and seeing a familiar face. "No, I'm not going to eat you..." Spooky strenuously said as he rose up from the crater he created. It was actually difficult to get up, or maybe difficult wasn't the right word. It was just different. It took effort to raise from the ground, feeling a bit of fatigue from the fall and actually feeling his massive weight being lifted with his legs and arms. He also noticed his Weapon lied several feet behind him, instead of just dropping back to his inventory. The sight caused him to remember that he no longer had a console for his inventory. With a sigh he tried one more time, swiping up and down with no avial.

After his failed attempt, he moved to the his weapon to retain it. Looking back at the Rabbit person in front of him. Her questions confused him. What did she mean a day ago? It was just a few minutes before they had met. From Yggdrasil? Where are they now? He shook his head again to focus on what was going on again. Offering a reply to Nyna.

"Yes we had just met a few minutes ago before the server crashed. Do you know what has happened? I can't seem to bring up the conso-" Spooky quickly halted his reply, surprised at what his voiced sounded like. It was deep and harsh, vastly different from his actual voice. His speech also sounded foreign, what he wanted to say and actually came out were the same, but it didn't come out as intended. Sounding as if he was one of those Role Player scrubs from the game before.

"I apologize, I cant seem to remember your name. I'm Ja- Spooky... You have any idea where we are?"

Looks like I am already too late.

By the time got back to the guild, the place was now a huge pile of debris. I am surprised that none of my fellow players are unharmed during its collapse. Well, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure almost all of us are very high-leveled so it won't even matter anymore.I notice however that some had already left the area, save for a group forming at where was once the gate to our guild. I knew I shouldn't stop by to eat the random fruits and berries I've found when I was flying to the guild, but this girl has her needs and all this chaos was making her hungry, so hungry that she was this close on eating a worm emerging from the ground.

Anyways, I've been thinking about what should I do in the meantime. Should I join those other players that are already forming a group or just go solo like the rest of them did? I am currently flying overhead the ex-guild with my kimono camouflaging me with the night sky so they can't see me, pondering on what should I do when I noticed something else that's different about me: I can see and sense dark energy. I can choose not to see these auras but the sensing is the part I can't control. The aura is pretty strong especially around demons, the undead, or those whose souls are tainted by the dark force. I can sense some dark energy wafting around the formed group on the ground but I've been getting another strong vibe that's coming from a forest not too far from here. Don't know why but I can tell what kind of creature the dark energy is coming off from even I can't see it and I am pretty sure this one's coming from an undead.

But there's something else, a force so malevolent that it's chilling me to the bones. I can't really pinpoint where it's coming from but I'm absolutely sure of its presence. I can't even tell if its coming from a demon or an undead. What's with this pure dark energy that's more powerful than the dark energy from all the other demon-like players combined? The thing that's bugging me the most is that I can also tell that it's in a dormant state at the moment. It's like wind: you can't see it but you can feel that it's definitely there. One thing that I'm sure of is that one day this dormant wind will soon become a powerful typhoon that will leave destruction and chaos in its wake. When that day comes, I'll be ready for it. Matters like these are just a part of a priestess's everyday schedule, followed by napping.

Shrugging it off, I decide to go to where the lone source of this dark energy is coming from and sure enough, it's from an undead. It looks like it's... talking to a bunny girl? Considering it's a zombie that seems to speaking words rather than "uuugh", I guess it's another player affected by the Shutdown. I was about to approach and talk to them until I noticed the crater next to them. At first I didn't pay any attention to it as I thought it was just part of the natural secenery when I sensed remnants of dark energy coming from it that's identical to the energy coming out of the undead. Did he... made it?

Aw heck no.

I know I it's my job as a priestess to drive out the forces of evil but this is different: this character that was once my avatar became my real body and although I can fly without any hassle, it still feels weird for me to actually move with wings for arms and hands along with talons for feet. I also know that I can fight my enemies from a distance, on the other hand I also want to be completely sure of what my capabilities are now that I'm truly a harpy in the flesh.

I thought of a safer way to get near them without being caught. I fly around the area to land on a spot not far from where the zombie and the bunny girl is, quietly walk like a baby-whose-walking-for-the-first-time towards said duo, and watch them behind a big tree. I want to observe them first before going out to meet in them in person. What can I say, I'm not much of a people person.

When Vander heard mention of a city, he closed his eyes and groaned internally. He had not seen it. He stood in a spot where the rubble blocked his view of the city. If he had taken a step or two more from the building he would have easily seen it. He was a scout. Even distracted he was supposed to have a better perception of his surroundings than the normal person. Even the strangeness of the situation everyone was in should not have prevented him from doing his job.

He looked at Cain and then Tania and Lena. "I understand that you feel caution about entering a city, Cain. If we must enter a city, I imagine Tania can make you appear human if you allow it. I can always scout ahead to determine the racial mixture of the city. Are we still comfortable with just heading north instead of heading to that city? I can wait if you want to see what the city has to offer before we head north."

He faced northward upon completion of the statement. He would be satisfied with waiting if he had to. For him to declare at trip northward without noticing the city made him feel slightly embarrassed. He felt there was no way he could just change his mind and make his way to the city after coming to the decision to explore north.

~Senna~

---

Senna stopped for only a moment, turning her head to listen to those speaking. Lively chatter aside, it seemed more than a few were intent on heading towards the city as well. That was...troublesome. She wasn't particularly fond of large groups of people. Still, she was never exactly one to just not do what she wanted because of a tiny bit of socialization. She might not speak or interact with most of them...but hell, the company would be at least...useful.

Senna leaned against a tree nearby the others.

"Hmm...suppose I wouldn't mind heading to the city either." Her tail flicked back and forth idly as she spoke. "I might at least find something to entertain myself with." She grinned under her helmet. "I wouldn't worry so much about me not being human either. I can handle myself. I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve to deal with men...and women, heh." She giggled. "And if charm doesn't work, well..." She of course, hadn't entirely meant that. She didn't truly wish to cause trouble, but this feeling of agitation wasn't going away.

Seems her slight...anger problems may have translated over to the game a bit more than she'd like too.


@drewccapp@Spanner@Lugubrious

---

"Aha," Lena offered Cain a friendly smile. "I wouldn't worry about your race or titles...as long as you are not abhorrently evil I certainly wouldn't mind your company. It would be rather...hypocritical for me to be otherwise." She shifted her position slightly as she responded and didn't elaborate further about her words. "I can understand your concerns about visiting civilization, however...though as long as you don't cause trouble I am sure even humans could look over you." Her words seemed sincere. She at least believed that much, but she objectively had perhaps too much faith in people sometimes.

"Heh, well she brought the Beholder." Tania chuckled impishly from atop Lena's head. Oh dear, what was the Fairy saying now. She was too busy speaking with Cain. "Ergo, it was her responsibility and she should have watched it better...unless she's just terrible at this whole thing!" She giggled, offering the two of them an impish smile.

Lena's eyes however, widened even more than they had previously in the past however long she had been granted free will.

"T-tania!" She shouted, pulling the fairy from off of her head as she glared at the impish thing. If it was possible for an already pale, undead elf to pale even further Lena had just did that. "That's quite enough, My lady!"

"Pfft, what? It's true. Can't handle the truth?" Giving an exasperated sigh, Lena turned to both Lenore and Emile.

"I-I apologize for my lady's rudeness to the both of you." Granted, she certainly agreed with Tania that perhaps this person could have had a better hold of the Beholder if what her lady was indeed saying was true - there was certainly no need to pour salt into the wound of something like that. "P-please understand she can be a little...troublesome but I assure you she means no harm at all."

Before the fairy could utter another word to possibly antagonize the two of them further and escalating the situation, Lena walked a few paces away from them after giving them a respectful bow, a few feet away from Cain and Vander. Tania simply sent the two of them a small illusion of her sticking out her tongue at them childishly.

"Please, my Lady focus on the issue at hand." Lena sighed.

"Okayokayfiiiiiine. None of you are any fun." She harrumphed, freeing herself from the elf's grasp and fluttering up to her head before. "Vander's right. I could make ya appear human at least. Actually, probably just easier to trick all the humans senses to make them think your a human." Tania's wings fluttered silently as she hummed to herself for a few seconds, thinking. "I for one though...would prefer to go north. Find a nice cool forest where I can make my Phantasmal Forest again. Everyone other than the silly ones over there," It didn't really need to be said who she was once again trying to antagonize with that statement. "is of course invited. What d'you think Lena?"

"Hmm...retrieving information would be a good idea, my Lady." She thought for a few seconds. "However...it perhaps may be easier to find a base to set up and then work from there. It shouldn't be too hard to find a decent forest around here once out of the mountains. Or perhaps you could simply make one, my lady?"

"Eh, sounds like a pain and not enough cookies and tea."

 

The Death Knight nodded, first toward 'Lenore' after her introduction and again after Emile made his offer. She finished wiping off her gauntlets and let the scrap of fabric fall to the ground.

"There are many unknowns ahead of us, an exciting prospect. I hope that we can support each other."

Now she took a moment to look over everyone that had gathered. Emile and Lenore both looked capable, the former being much more confident. She had little to judge their combat prowess by but pleasant companions would be better than brash, capable ones.

The group was as diverse as anything she had ever seen, from Minotaurs and martial artists to elves, owls and devils. No class or play style seemed to be left out. A perfect cross section of the variety that made Yggdrasil so great.

"I believe that you should be able to fly, Emile. Swiftness should be an asset... Lenore, do you have a mount? if not, then you could share mine."

@Lugubrious

---

"Oh, but that's exactly the deal Miss Lena: I'm supposed to be inherently evil." The devil said in a mischievous manner, going as far as showing an impish smile that clearly denoted that he took some amusement about the situation - an awfully quick change from his panicked state from a while ago that he didn't miss to notice in despite of quickly dismissing the thought. "My racial description even says that I'm the natural enemy of humankind, you know? Truly evil." He added while giving the elf his best evil smile: am overly caricatured grim common to insane antagonists present in the animes that he watched that could only be regarded as a joke - that is, if not by the fact that he unconsciously emitted an aura of villainy that would easily convince anyone who didn't know him that he was indeed insane for a second before returning to his usual self. "That being said I don't think I can actually kill an human being that easily - nor do I feel the urge to do so - so... Guess we're fine for now." He mentioned as he heard a new voice touching the subject, vaguely noticing that a new person had joined the group as he shared his attention between answering Lena and organising his own toughts about the situation.

"Even if you say so, I don't think I'd fit well amongst humans. Demons and Devils weren't exactly loved by the people in YGGDRASIL after all, and I see no reason for it to be different here." He nonchalantly answered as the Elven guardian offered her opinion, turning back to the watcher and shaking his head before continuing his speech. "Even if we did use illusions, I don't know whether I'm prepared to face the humans of this new world or not. I was never an outgoing person after all, settling down first would be easier... Also, we'd still need to see if Miss Tania can do I-...." He ubconciously turned to Tania as he talked, as if to directly confirm the alternative presented to him, just to be shocked speechless instead: The fae wasn't alone anymore, being accompanied by not only one but four other players that had arrived while he was distracted, two that seemed to be irritated by Tania's attitude.

He barely had the time to register the appearance of strangers - Two fully armored knights, one with gloomy, dark feel over him (or her, it wasn't clear under all the weaponry) and the other seemingly normal, whose the races he couldn't guess, a weird female(?) who looked to be mostly made of and dressed by werdly fused flesh (That he presumed to be a flesh golem, quite the surprising choice for a female in his own opinion) and finally an elf female who would be completely normal if not by the fact that she carried a freaking gun and was dressed in oriental clothes - before Lena went to the rescue, striving to save the poor newcomers from her liege's poisonous tongue, disturbing his attempt to understand what exactly happened for them to fight the fairy as she distanced herself from the other group, compelling him to do the same to maintain their conversation.

He managed to discreetly walk a couple of steps towards the duo before the fairy started to talk again, confirming the watcher's claim. "I would be glad if you did so. It would be tremendously helpful to look less devilish during our travels." He looked somehow relieved as the fairy confirmed her ability to hide his true nature, as being stuck in the form of a devil was hardly something that helped with his adaptation to the new world, unconsciously confirming that he already thought of them as a group in the process.

"As for joining you in your traveling, I'd be pleased to do so. Joining the person capable of disguising my appearance seems like the ideal decision..." Even if she seems like someone who'd end up causing trouble wherever we go. He couldn't help but add inwardly as he thought about how the Fae immediately managed to get in bad terms with the other group of players - a feat that he still hadn't completely understood in despite of deducing that it had something to do with how the Guild's Mountain Fort was completely destroyed. "And if I get to know more about thus world in the process, it's even better for me."

---

Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist@drewccapp
Mentioned: @TheFake@13org@Lugubrious

Revenmar did not move from his knees while the God's before him spoke among each other. The air was bitterly cold against his face, so he put his helmet back on, he didn't really think that the God's would care that much. In fact, they all seem confused by the situation. Something that puzzled Revenmar. He was... More now, then he was before, he knew that for a fact. They whose power was limitless before him, seemed uneasy about their newfound predicament. He took it as a sign of the creator, he must have designed this before he vanished. He alone created Revenmar, he was the chosen warrior to be loved by all for his chivalry and justice.

However, Revenmar wasn't so sure anymore. There were many Gods before him, both on the ends of different spectrum. Some were most likely going to be aligned with good, many would fall under a black and gray line somewhere in the middle and a few would be bad. If he was to serve them well, he couldn't afford to be on either side, but somewhere in the middle. The creator had given him thought, and a will to use those thoughts to think for himself. He wouldn't be so blinded like that Lexus machine. He was lucky, and Revenmar was even a bit jealous that he could serve its creator here.

He became keenly aware of the topic of conversation, from traveling North, establishing bases, finding information about the world, going to a city and more. Some of the Gods had even started to group up with each other. It seemed that unity in the face of a new adversity was lost among bickering words and petty insults. Now was not the time to go different ways, but who was Revenmar to oppose them? He was merely a paladin, not equal to the fierce beings in front of him. He kept his mouth shut for the most part, and let things play out.

Where did he want to go? To the North? To the South? To find a city and explore? So many options overwhelmed him. So he would stick to the most realistic course of action, and be a follower on the course for something greater. He stood, silently amidst the group and walked over to Death Knight Kallahar, then bowed before her. It seemed sensible that he would want to follow another wearing armor such as he, but her's was far more beautiful, in a twisted way.

He spoke, "I shall accompany you, Slayer-of-the-Beholder. If it pleases you." He stayed bowed, and would wait for a response.

@TheFake

@BurningDaisies @Stern Algorithm

I think I'm getting sick.

Imagine being near a bag of rotting garbage and multiply it by 10. That's how disgusting it is just being near an undead or a force of the dark.

I don't even know how I can smell auras now. I'm not even aware of the scent of the undead until I came close to it. As far as I'm concerned, no amount of perfume is ever going to soothe my nose again.

Not wanting to alert the duo, I immediately walk back from the spot where I landed and fly again, this time I'm heading back to where the guild was just for the sake of being far from this walking pile of garbage.

I flew so fast I didn't even notice the gigantic Transformer until I almost crashed into it. It is also with a chimaera, the one who called it it's "god".
Wait, how did I not see them before?

Oh... oh yeah, I was flying on the area with a blanket of clouds covering me so I won't be seen. Now that I think about it, I was only able to see the ex-guild through the peeking holes of the clouds, so there's a good chance I didn't see all of it, including these two. I also know that my kimono grants gives me camouflage against the sky, but I still covered myself behind the clouds just to be sure.

I didn't sense any malicious aura coming from the chimaera but this Transformer, Lexus is its name I think, has a hint of holiness with it. But compared to me, it's not that much... holy. I mean it is holy, but not full-pledged holy. I don't know, it's aura is really perplexing, like trying to understand what you're seeing through a kaleidoscope. Maybe it's because its creator is another player whose not fully inclined with the light while my class is but like I said I don't know. I'm gonna need a lot of time to understand this big thing.

I greeted both the chimaera and the big guy with a warm smile. "So, you're the guys who destroyed our guild, huh? Himitsu, by the way".

I silently freak out on the inside. Why does my voice sound like it can cure cancer and solve world hunger?! It is so pure and angelic and... suspiciously similar to Lamb's voice as Kindred in League of Legends. Doesn't matter, I have a voice as beautiful as this, I will never shut up.

_{Written in collaboration with @Stern Algorithm}

---

"It is well that the beast of destruction has been stopped then," Lexus Dominiel declared, coming to the conclusion that the beholder being destroyed was all part of December's divine plan. "But then, are the beings of this world forgiven, or do you desire a different end? Or perhaps do you wish to have the beings of this world relearn you Name and your Laws? Shall I call the other gods together to hear your commands?" Lexus Dominiel placed the head of its hammer towards its chest and lowered its gaze in a floating bow of reverence.

The golem's personality was troublesome, behaving much like an young child eager to please its parents and gain their approval. She found herself pitying him a little. His ignorance was understandable though. He wasn't originally meant to be some harbinger of the apocalypse. That due to was IYamWhatIYam's meddling. She tried pulling up the NPC details menu, thinking she might be able to change his NPC parameters, but it was a vain attempt. Few of her other menu options appeared either when she tried. December didn't have too many regrets in life, but Not stopping her former guild mate from tampering with Lexus was now on that short list.

Perhaps with Lexus's newfound intelligence, she might be able to correct a few of his misconceptions. "The beings of this world have not done anything that requires my forgiveness. You have to understand The Apocalypse was supposed to be an end for us too... us Gods I guess." She hated calling herself that, but she feared it was the only way Lexus would understand. "After the world ended, we were supposed to return to the world we came from. But nothing happened the way it was supposed to."
She looked forlornly at the ruins of the guild hall.
"Destroying the world isn't likely to solve any of our problems. The fact is I'm trapped here, Lexus. And so are the other gods. How or why doesn't matter as much as finding a way for us to return. Whatever it takes, I have to see Khang again."

"Would you help me?"

Lexus Dominiel was shaken by December's admission. To Lexus, she was the creator of the Heavens and the Earth. December was supposed to be omnipotent, all-capable, all-knowing. For things to not go according to her every whim was unthinkable. It took a moment of quiet whirring and clicking as Lexus attempted to process this new information. "Some...unknown force...perhaps a Great Enemy...bars your return, our return to Heaven...? Lexus Dominiel wondered if one of the other gods had somehow betrayed December and usurped her divinity. The Angelic construct also wondered if it should use its gravity magic as a means to return to Heaven; some say that at the furthest extremes of gravity, the fabric of the universe tears and new world's open up.

When she asked if Lexus Dominiel would help her, it immediately replied, "Absolutely! I am eternally in your service." Lexus bowed deeply.

Although her features were monstrous and inhuman, December's expression was one of obvious satisfaction and relief. Lexus seemed to understand her situation, even if his ideas were misguided. "We need to secure a new living space for the time being."
She looked at the snow-capped mountaintops and, even thousands of meters distant, she could sense the frigid winds gusting around their peaks. The longer she looked at the glacial drifts blanketing the slopes of the mountain the more she felt the need to go there and experience it. Some primal instinct of hers was responding to the winter scenery. It gnawed at her and filled her with longing--a dire, pressing need to be surrounded by virgin snow and feel the nip of cold winds on her nose. Eventually she regained her senses and disjointed memories of her adventures into the Frostfell Mountains played in her mind. In YGGDRASIL, snowy mountains were often home to frost dragons.

"I used to help them fend off Frost Giants raids...." She spoke softly to herself, but the words rubmled out like a low growl. She quickly recovered and turned to her servant. "I used to be on good terms with the frost dragon tribes. If any live in these parts, they might be willing to help us. What do you think?"

"Dragons are not only powerful, but wise as well. They will no doubt be honored to be among your worshippers," Lexus Dominiel agreed. "Might I also suggest that we seek out the humanoid races? If this world is anything like ours, then they should be the most populous. Humans in particular are prone to large civilizations, organized religion, and cities; cities with universities and mage towers full of stockpiled information."

Cities? December hesitated. If it had been before the shutdown, she wouldn't have had any reservations at all, but with all the changes, she wasn't sure how the human populations would react. She could still distinctly remember being barred from a few NPC vendors due to her appearance alone. However, Lexus has a point. There would be a wealth of information available to them, even if she didn't particularly want to go.
"That's true as well..." She mused. "We should be discrete, however. Until we can figure out who or what caused all this. I should be able to change my appearance to blend in with them, but you..." Her voice trailed off as she concentrated on shapeshifting into her humanoid form.

Her body shrank quickly. Thick fur receded beneath smooth, pale skin. The horns and wings seemed to grow in reverse until they too disappeared. Muffled cracks and shudders echoed quietly in the air as her form shifted into a more human appearance. December found that clearer she could visualize what she wanted herself to be, the easier her magic took effect. It became apparent that drastic transformations caused her stomach to do somersaults and the instinctive sense of alarm associated with falling wracked her mind. If this was going to happen every time, frequent transformations were off limits.
Water droplets condensed into a thin sheet of ice beneath December's feet as her wings withered into feathery tufts on her back and gravity tried to pull her to the ground.

"...how do you feel about being a bit smaller?" She asked hesitantly, her voice having returned to the soft, pleasant timbre and sweet aria it had before.

It would be easier if both of them could blend in, but with Lexus's personality, she wasn't so sure he would appreciate having his body manipulated by her transmutation magic. Regardless, she had to convince him. She admired his loyalty, blind though it may be, but his ideology chaffed against her own. She hated the idea of being put upon a pedestal to be worshiped. She hoped that with a little more personal freedom of choice and a little guidance, he might slowly change his thinking.

"I can temporarily transform you into something that won't draw too much attention. But I want you to know that you have the option to refuse. You can stay as you are now, if you like."

"Given a choice, I cannot relinquish this glorious form that you have created me in," Lexus Dominiel declared. "Besides, while your full splendor may be more than their mortal eyes can take in, and thus require a disguise, my reduced divinity should be enough for their feeble minds to digest. The sight of me will act as a sign, a miracle, and proof of your divinity. Without a clear sign, humans may allow doubt and arrogance to creep into their hearts and they may deny you, or take another as their Lord."

December held down the urge to sigh.
"If that's your wish, I will respect it. However, our investigation is more important than my divinity right now."

"As for the other gods..." She looked at the ruins of the guildhall and noticed a few small gatherings of people on the slopes of the mountain. She strained her eyes to see and her transformative powers responded. The dark color of her eyes became like molten gold bisected by a single dark slit. Her vision zoomed in rapidly; the other guild members, at first distant specks, quickly became well-defined and animated as her new hawk eyes focused on them. "Fortunately, they seem to be organizing themselves without my help. Would you like to join them?"

Lexus Dominiel was starting to take the hint, "If you desire to keep your divinity a secret, so that you may better observe the mortals as they are, then I will willingly take on another form."

In response to December's other question, Lexus Dominiel added, "I would rather remain by your side. From what I can tell, some of them are of the...'infernal'...variety. Though they are gods, I do not care to rub shoulders with them." Lexus looked to December, wondering if she was going to force a disguise or transformation spell upon itself.

December found herself giggling for the first time since incident. "I appreciate your honesty." Lexus' reaction towards the other players reminded of her of Khang's hatred for the all-too-common bland, nutrient paste you could buy at the market. It was cheap and healthy, but awful and unsatisfying, and he always looked at it like it was some kind of vicious animal ready to bite him. If Lexus had a nose, she was sure it would be wrinkled derisively.

"I know it may not be what you want, but it will be much easier for us to gather information this way. I just don't want us to be the cause of a mass panic when we walk into town. In any case, you have my word that I will change as little of you as I possibly can. " She walked through the air, each step landing on a transparent platform of ice that formed beneath her feet.
Placing her hand on the cold metal of Lexus's shoulder, she started the long incantation of the high-tier transmutation spell she used for sculpting new golems. When she used it last, a menu with all kinds of options would appear, but the world fell away leaving only her and Lexus in a empty space with a dim ambient light stretching in all directions. A hyper-real image of Lexus's body in displayed in her mind, finely detailed and incredibly intricate. She instantly knew she could freely change its form with a mere thought, as if the magic were an old memory stirred up by nostalgia.

"Just... don't move." She whispered.

A strange tension played on her fingertips as Lexus' innate resistances pushed against the influence of her spell; She felt her blood quicken as the magic pulsed through her arm to surge and overwhelm it. She envisioned Lexus as an armor clad knight; the intricate designs of his current form reflected in the design of the knight's armor. The helmet became a smaller replica of Lexus's head. Although a vaguely humanoid face formed behind the visor, it was little more than a facade. December wasn't comfortable transmuting Lexus into an organic creature, at least not yet; the rare star metals that made up his body were nearly impossible to find in YGGDRASIL and she had no idea, if she could transmute him back afterwards. Ultimately, she fashioned him into an exquisitely carved statue of solid metal, like a suit of armor standing on display in an ancient castle. A safe choice she thought.

A shroud of molten light covered the living construct as the 'template' December had imagined manifested into reality, and Lexus Dominiel adopted a new form.

"Your resistance to magic is so high, you could probably dispel this at anytime, maybe even accidentally. Please be mindful of that." Her tone was stern, but not harsh, as if calmly warning a child to watch for traffic before crossing the street.

"I understand, and will maintain this facade as long as you deem necessary. But if I engage in combat for whatever reason, I will shed this disguise," Lexus Dominiel replied, inspecting it's new form. Just then, they were approached by a harpy, but Lexus thought it best to let its master parley with it.

"That's okay-"

"So, you're the guys who destroyed our guild, huh? Himitsu, by the way".

December winced at the harpy's comment. She didn't have a strong attachment to guildhall itself nor was she at fault for its destruction, but she still felt guilty for not doing more. "December..." She ignored Himitsu's first statement outright, hiding behind a smile and a polite bow. "This is my friend Lexus Dominiel, an intelligent construct." She said, gesturing to the animated armor besides her.

"I saw that the others had started to wander off or form groups. I was just beginning to wonder, if anyone would join us." She lied about the last part, but small talk was a welcome distraction to the recent disaster still fresh in her mind. "What did the others decide?"

---

It did not take very long for the world to turn upside down for David Lording. While he tried to figure things out, the previously docile beholder came to life and decided to destroy most of the guildhall. Various people attacked it, things exploded, it was quite the mess but the entire time, HideYourMen had just stood there, trying to come to terms with the new situation. The ceiling collapsed down on top of him, but his servant NPC was there to shield him with a powerful barrier, so all the rubble bounced off around them.

"This cannot be real, this is impossible!" David thought to himself as he looked down at his massive chest that now appeared to be real. There was only one way to tell if everything was real or not, and he was equal parts frightened and excited as he started down, reached up with his now slender hands, and coped a feel.

The ridiculous amount of sensations that flooded through his hands and decidedly female breasts very quickly overwhelmed him as it was a sensation he had never felt before in his life. It was impossible, but he, David Lording, was now in fact his female avatar, HideYourMen. David had the strangest competing feelings of excitement and utter terror.


"Mistress HideYourMen, how could you put your golden skin in even the slightest danger by standing inside a collapsing building like that? Imagine if even the slightest blemish came upon your divine countenance, I would have never forgiven myself!" The servant looked as if he was in pain just thinking about it. David really wished he could remember if he had even given the servant npc a name, though he had a feeling he never bothered in the first place, but now that he was real, well he might need to figure out something to call the man other than servant. He also really needed a name other than HideYourMen for people to call him, using the avatar name in a real environment was just way too weird.

"Please don't call me by that name, umm I'll tell you when I think of one but for now we need to figure out what exactly has happened." Having stayed in the center of the building, HideYourMen was now surrounded by rubble, which looked annoying to climb over but then he remembered his race. Of course he was in human form at the moment, but by transforming into his true form, that of a lamia, he would be able to transverse the rubble easily.

Transforming came to him naturally, though the sense of the metamorphosis felt quite disturbing, as he got to watch his legs twine themselves together and transform into the long, coiling tail of a serpent. He could fell his face change shape slightly, his eyes could suddenly view the world in heat vision if he desired, he could feel fangs protrude from the roof of his mouth, and his hands grew long, sharp nails that were powerful weapons in their own right.

It was going to take a while to get used to being both a full-fledged monster, and a woman on top of that.

The strong lamia body allowed David to slither without incident out of the wreckage while his NPC servant quickly followed after. It seemed while he had still been trying to accept his own new reality, everyone else had been busy getting together to figure out what they were going to do next. He also really needed to figure that out as well.

The closest people David saw were a Chimera avatar, an NPC that had transformed into basically a statue, and a Harpy avatar, not that they could really be called avatar's anymore if they really now were stuck inside their avatar bodies. What was very interesting was that HideYourMen could now fell 'divine' influences', for example he could tell that the kimono on the harpy was blessed by another god, this had to be his character's divine nature at work which allowed him to sense the other god's power. Since he had reached a divine status in Yggdrasil, just how would that affect him now that he was real?

"Greetings, my name is...HideYourMen...heavens I really need to think of a new name..." HideYourMen slapped her forehead in embarrassment at saying his username out loud. "Anyway that is now important, if we are going to make it in this, other dimension or whatever, we better come up with some plans."

@BurningDaisies@baraquiel

"Spooky? Well... I suppose you are rather spooky! I'm Nyna!" she said with a laugh, sitting at the border of the crater, dangling her legs as she continued eating berries.
"So, you're not going to eat me, right? Wew... For a second I thought you were just a common undead... I guess? Oh, but I don't mean to be racist or anything! By common undead I mean all the stuff about eating flesh & etc..." Nyna said with an awkward smile, as she watched the undead get his weapon. Taking a better look at the undead, it was indeed a very imposing figure. Wielding two heavy blades and a full armor, it was indeed rather spooky. She hoped he wouldn't be offended by what she had just said about him being a common undead...

"About what happened... I'm not that certain myself... But apparently we were transported inside the game, or something like that?" She said, still rather confused about what happened.

"Now that I'm saying this out loud, it sounds incredibly dumb, right?" She said, with an awkward smile.
"But its the only explanation I can think for what's happening... See?" Nyna said, pointing to her ears and moving them.
"This is not an avatar anymore... I can hear things much better now, I can run faster, I can smell things better... But I also feel pain, hunger, cold, tired... I don't know exactly what happened, but we are not in a game anymore." Nyna said, making a slightly more serious face, before returning to her usual smile.

"So... Where do you plan on going now? To the city? Stay a little bit more here at the forest eating berries...?" She asked, laughing.

"You know... Things are not that bad as they are right now... Thinking a little more about it, I may be happier here than in the 'real world' you know?" Nyna said, looking up.

"What I'm trying to say is that we should try to look at the brighter side of things too. It might not be that bad." Nyna said, with an amicable smile to the undead.

"I know I said about going to the city... But I don't think your appearance will pass unnoticed there. Again, I mean no disrespect!" Nyna said, looking at him and raising her hands.

"Well... I suppose if you don't take your armor off, there is no way for the others to know you're an undead... But again, your armor isn't that discreet as well..." Nyna said, eating the last one of the berries she had picked up from the bushes.

@Thecrash20

---

"I'll go!"
"I think I can merge with the humanfolk just fine with how I look!" A cheerful girl, which was sitting on a stone nearby said.

She did look incredibly... normal, even more than Yasha herself. She would probably have no trouble disguising herself as a common villager. But her appearance was almost too inoffensive... Was she hiding something? She was an Yggdrasil player, so the answer was quite obvious, the real question was what exactly were her abilities.

"Hmm...suppose I wouldn't mind heading to the city either." another voice said, coming from a demoness leaning against a tree.

Differently from the other girl though, this one looked like a sophisticated noblewoman, but behind that, she had a much more dangerous aspect than the inoffensive looking villager girl. Her words were as sharp as a knife. And that was something that Yasha knew very well. That woman could be dangerous, keeping an eye on her would probably be a smart thing to do.

"Very well. That might be a good chance to gather some information. I believe I've already introduced myself, my name is Yasha." She said, bowing to the cheerful girl and the demoness.

"I would suggest us to try and be as discreet as possible, at least until we discover a bit more about this world and its inhabitants." Yasha said to the demoness and the girl.
"Just waiting for you two. I'm ready whenever you are." Yasha said, leaning against a big rock.
"And to the rest of you, good luck everyone. I don't think we'll meet each other that soon. But I hope that when we do, we are on the same side. We have enough possible enemies as it is, we don't need any more." Yasha said, looking to the rest of the group.

Yasha wasn't lying this time. She really hoped that they wouldn't be enemies if they met each other again... Especially because Yasha was in severe disadvantage on all that situation. For her, information was something very critical. She needed to know not only her surroundings, but also her prey, including its strengths, weaknesses, habits & etc to make the perfect ambush. The was she was right now, she was in the darkness... Sure, she was fairly confident on the destructive potential of her spells, but brute strength could be easily surpassed by tactics and intelligence.

@Hammerman@Rune_Alchemist

---

"Let's go then! I'm ready as well!" Selena responded with a cheerful smile. She took the lead, heading to the direction Yasha pointed at.

As they walked towards the city beyond the plains, Selena skipped along cheerfully, humming a tune. Her body felt much lighter now, and not just because she was feeling happy. She was now slimmer than she was in real life. Combined with how much stronger she was than the ordinary human, she could keep skipping indefinitely without feeling even a tiny bit tired.

As I thought, this body really is the best!

"By the way, what are you going to do once you get to the city?" she asked her two companions. "I want to get a house that I can live in. Ideally, I'll want a house on the mountains, isolated from the world. There, I will make my farm... Oh, that's right! I still have my farm! It should still be there! But it's quite far away from here though..."

@BurningDaisies@Stern Algorithm@IceHeart

I bowed in return to December and nodded at Lexus' direction. Y'know, since I'm a well-mannered young harpy. "I believe all of us are already going in their separate ways. They seemed to be forming their own parties but there are also others who decided to venture out solo. As we speak, I think almost all of them are traveling to the nearest villages to get valuable information about this world." Gosh, I am living with this voice.

Ever since I've been talking to December, I've been getting this hostility vibe from the now normal-sized Lexus. I remember even though it refers to us as gods, it believed that its creator is the "one above all". That's probably the reason why it doesn't even speak to me, it just looks at me with its... I'm gonna assume they're its eyes, like its giving me a silent message: "Respect my mama if you don't want no drama" or something like that. Either way, this flying tin can sure has some balls to be like that to me. Not to boast, but I'm pretty sure I can handle fighting it even at its true form. It better be sure to be nice to me as soon as possible though, 'cause it'll see a storm of a lifetime.

As for December, I also think she's kind of giving me the cold shoulder, like one of those angsty, emo teenagers you meet at school that tells you to go away and doesn't need your presence in its life. Meh, I'm just going to give her the benefit of the doubt and really get to know her better. Since there are only three of us (Lexus included. No need for me to be mean to it if itsn't mean to me.) that has knowledge of our lives before the Shutdown, we have got to learn how to cooperate and be nice to each other (and also because no one wants to team up with us since Lexus just destroyed our guild and maybe blame December for it).

Speaking of past lives, I know it's pointless to feel this since all of us players are definitely powerful in our own way, but I'm actually kind of scared for us. Sure, we all know this game and its world because we spent countless days playing our hearts and souls with it, but that was when it was just a bunch of codes and programming so you always know what to do in every situation as well as how to defeat almost every monster in this world. This game of fiction has become a real-life game of survival and there seems to be no getting out of it. Since everyone and everything in this world has minds on their own, we never know what to expect anymore. Additionally, we are actually alive and actually living in our own avatars that a single mistake might be the end of our lives. Aside from the malevolent presence I've felt earlier, I'm certainly sure there are more nasty surprises this world has in store for us. I must admit, I was quite surprised that no one was crying hysterically or huddled in a corner rocking back and forth after the Shutdown happened so I guess all of us are heart-strong. Besides, this is the real world now and no amount of crying can ever take back our past lives.

Oh wow, talk about talking deep.

I decide to make small talk with December as an attempt to break the ice. "You know, your avatar and ability to change into all the animals in the world are really amazing. To top it all off, you got an ever-loyal mecha-guardian at your side!", I say as I point to Lexus. I'll never say it out loud, but I kind of envy December because she always has someone watching her back. We all need someone to rely on especially in difficult situations such as these. I knew I should've created a shrine guardian NPC that will treat me with respect and really up my ego.

I decide to test my charm as a harpy. "I've been thinking, since you can transform into every animal or beast you can think of, instead of December can I call you Queen B? Y'know, B for Beast? Get it?". I am now getting double of the hostility vibe from Lexus, which means my pun abilities are still functional in this world. Thank god.

As soon as I said that, I hear a voice from below.

"Greetings, my name is...HideYourMen...heavens I really need to think of a new name..." HideYourMen slapped her forehead in embarrassment at saying his username out loud. "Anyway that is now important, if we are going to make it in this, other dimension or whatever, we better come up with some plans."

@BurningDaisies@baraquiel

I look down to see where the voice came from. I think it came from the Eqyptian snake lady. She also has an NPC following her, though regarding his actions and the way he looks at HideYourMen (ew), I assume it was designed to be crazy loyal to its creator. I also start to feel an aura coming from the snake lady. She is holy alright, but there's something weird about her that I can't put my finger on.

Wait: the way she moves, her clothes, her IGN, her holy but weird aura, and her very loyal male subject.

Oh. She (or him) is THAT kind of player.

"Hello to you as well, HideYourMen! Give us a sec to land so we can talk to each other in person!", I tell HideYourMen (ew).

I turn back at December and Lexus. "Well, it seems that somebody wants to join in the fun as well. Let's fly down now, shall we?"

"Isn't...Bad!?" Spooky scolded, still confused and angry at the situation. "I have to get... home?". Spooky was having problems trying to remember why he had to leave. He knew something was supposed to end. It did end and now everything was real. He knew he had to leave, but where was he supposed to be? Was it that fall that jogged his memory or was he just experiencing some shock from the fall? He didn't feel shock, he is Undead. It just ended up confusing him even further, so he tried to think of the situation at hand. Spooky looked down at his hands. Closing them and opening them, it felt so real. Why wouldn't it, right? These are his bony hands surrounded by rusted clad armor. These were his hands. Nanya kept talking about some kind of Game. Spooky wasn't sure what Game she was talking about, but tried to just forget about it and not confuse himself further.
"Uhh, excuse me... Yes, we should probably head to the nearest town. I believe I have something that could help with my concealment". Spooky said, as he swiped at the air. Not sure why he was doing it to begin with, it just felt natural. Of course nothing happened and why would it. After catching himself nonsensically swiping, he paused to think of the item he wanted to equip. A dark flash swarmed his body, dissipating and leaving a cloak behind. The dark ragged cloak almost hid his entire body, save for his gauntlets and sabaton feet. It didn't hide his massive figure, but didn't reveal himself as an Undead or the armor and weapon he wielded. It would have to do.

"I think this will be sufficient. Lead the way." Spooky said, turning away and taking another look at the forest. Noticing something rather strange. Why arn't I breathing?
@13org

@BurningDaisies @baraquiel @IceHeart

Lexus Dominiel sized up the harpy priestess. It thought it unusual for a god to be a priestess, which was by definition a servant of the gods, but perhaps this meant that Himitsu was a servant to December, the supreme god. If so, then as a mere angel, Lexus Dominiel was outranked by Himitsu. After thinking this through, Lexus Dominiel bowed, "Greetings, Lady Himitsu. I am but an angel. As long as your will aligns with Lady December's, I am ready to accept your commands." Though it said this, Lexus Dominiel was a little taken aback by how casually Himitsu spoke to December, accusing her and Lexus Dominiel of destroying the castle, as well as trying to give December a nickname. Still, Lexus would endure a little longer, not wishing to raise its voice against a divine.

Lexus Dominiel looked down at the snake goddess that called up at them. An unusual god, Lexus Dominiel noted, yet to prove people's devotions, sometimes they needed to be tested, and lust was certainly something that all mortals struggled with. Still, there was a fine line between temptation and debauchery, and Lexus did not know on what side of the line this 'HideYourMen' fell. Himitsu suggested they fly down and greet the snake goddess, but Lexus Dominiel felt that the sky was the proper realm for a council of gods, so it cast amnesty again, this time on HideYourMen, allowing her the ability to float up to their level.

Those assembled lay the final preparations for diaspora

---

@Rune_Alchemist @TheFake @Lord Zee

The sudden appearance of a woman with her weapon out did not, despite her assurances, put either Emile or Lenore at ease. After revealing that she'd been watching the whole time and then involving herself in the forming groups' affairs, she made some suggestions of here own as to where to go. While Emile could appreciate the initiative, he felt as though he and his niece need not alter their plans to travel south with Kallahar and Revenmar. She did, however, voice a few of the potential problems Emile had been thinking about in his head. If this new world did host its own peoples and nations, he would have to make sure he behaved accordingly, not just throwing around his power without a care for the consequences. That wasn't the problem, though; what concerned his more was whether or not the other former players would be as responsible. The two armored warriors with which he supposed he would venture seemed stoic enough, and he could corral Lenore if need be, but some of the others present practically screamed wanton misuse of power. How would this realm's civilizations come to grips with this sudden, massive influx of godlike beings?

Such bridges, Emile decided, would have to be crossed when they came to them. There was just no knowing how things would turn out, and that conclusion struck the strigiforme as both frightening and exciting. The village girl, meanwhile, was mentioning the obvious—that the less-than-human members of this phantasmagorical entourage would stick out among human-oriented civilizations. Just a little, the insinuation there ruffled his feathers, though to be fair perhaps he was just on guard from Tania's cutting comments moments before. With my helmet on, I bet I can pass for human. Weird, maybe, but still human. I could say I'm...what, a foreigner? Unfamiliar to this land, shy about my face...ah, I could make something up about customs. A foreign mercenary, forced by his culture to don a mask when abroad. The sudden creative influx almost made Emile giddy. Whoa, this could actually be fun. Could I pull it off? His gaze landed on Lenore, and he winced. She's going to have trouble. That was something he would have to address.

Emile's inner monologue evaporated, however, when the fairy rounded upon them. The words she uttered oozed with such egocentricity that the man could scarcely believe his ears. “What!? Are you delusional? How the hell're we supposed to know what was gonna happen?” Not that Emile expected her to admit his rightfulness; rather, he felt as though he understood Tania completely. She behaved in a nonsensical manner for the sole purpose of eliciting reactions from others and gaining pleasure from their belittlement, making her nothing more than a elementary-school bully. Emile's hatred of children like those, and adults who acted like them, spurred him to want to make Tania look as bad as possible in front of everyone else. In the end, though, an adult knew when to let something go. He decided to ignore her, and instead turned his attention to her elf companion. “No, no...it's alright. Looks like ya got a pretty rough deal. All I can do is offer my sympathies.” When Tania refused him and Lenore entry to her 'phantasmal forest', he said nothing. Did she imagine that her denial stung him? As if he, or any sane individual, would want to waste time with her.

He ignored that group of players, lending his ear instead to Kallahar, who graciously agreed to have him and Lenore along. Her next statement, one pragmatic in its simplicity, made him pause. “Fly...yes, I think I can.” Actually, he couldn't believe that he hadn't thought about it. Forget have two legs again; if this fantasy had become reality, then he could live out the impossibility of which he'd always dreamed. He could fly...not just fly, even, but soar!

While Emile was lost in thought, his niece gave a timid response to the Death Knight's question. “I had...a minor skill from, uh, Flesh Smith? B-body Surf...it s-should activate...if I try to sprint.”

Next, the radiant dreadknought approached to express a desire to join Kallahar's intrepid band. Having already given him the once-over, Emile -stirred from his thoughts by Revenmar's arrival- was sure that having a dependable person who was more or less normal around would come in handy. “Good to have ya along for the ride, sir knight.”

He stared up into the night sky, watching the gleaming stars. In silence, he moved with sudden purpose, a short way from the group before crouching down. The moment Emile tensed his muscles, the air around him changed. It began to flow toward him, gathering with the tumult and dark color of a growing storm's thunderclouds. Black energy swirled around him, building up for a brief time, until he sprang. Wings of pure green-blue aether burst from his back as he shot upward a few hundred feet into the air, leaving a black trail behind. When he stopped to hover in the sky, a light coat of aether could be seen washing over him as water does over the face of a rock, and with a bright heart he scanned the horizons. He couldn't imagine a pirate captain, with all the liberty of a carefree renegade, perched atop the prow of his ship feeling any more free than he did right now. Once again he looked skyward, and among the stars he spotted a comet blazing a trail across the vault of heaven. ”There!” He drifted downward, the flap of his wings steady, moving closer to his new comrades. His pointed finger traced the falling star's path across the sky. ”Let's get it on. We got a world to explore”

“People ask me, 'What is the use of climbing the Frostfell Summit?' and my answer must at once be, 'It is of no use.' There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the endurance of the human body at such heights. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron... If you cannot understand that there is something in us which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. ”



Like a prodigious white fang excrescent from the jaw of the world, Frostfell’s greatest peak tore through the clouds and towered into the sky. The pristine white of its glacial sheets blanketed its northern slopes and shelves of ice formed stepped terraces along its southern base. The treacherous range was cold and windy. Few people would ever travel here willingly, hoping to avoid the blizzard-plagued mountains.

However, some were forced to eke out a living in this unforgiving winter landscape.

The cool waters of a running stream snaking down the mountain slopes cut a shallow trench through a narrow gulley. Nestled between two steep crags was a small village marked by the rime-covered wooden bridges that span the gap. Frostfell Summit loomed above the horizon behind it like a foreboding monolith. Rickety abodes seem precariously settled on natural ledges while others seem to make homes in the stone itself. A warm orange glow filtered through several of the shuttered windows. The largest of these structures, a hunting cabin, straddled the modest river. The wind smells rich and earthy as a warm, resinous scent faintly prickled the back of the nose. Drifts of dark smoke forms tapered columns above the cabin’s chimney.

Having caught sight of the chimney smoke at a distance and travelled towards its source, four adventurers enter the small gorge and lay eyes on the quaint mountain village.



A rider on horseback races away from the quiet stables in a furious gallop. White plumes erupt from the steed’s snout every time it thrusts its powerful legs forward. Even at a distance, the rider seems to be in a hurry. It takes the downward slope at a breakneck pace, then cuts eastward along a well-kept mountain trail. His fur-trimmed coat billowed in the wind as he cut across the adventurers’ path.



The sinuous path of the mountain trail lead southeast to fork. A sign marked the way, but was timeworn and covered in rime. Ultimately, the decision of which direction to was left to fate.

The road winded into an old forest tightly packed with ash and fir. The air was heavy and stale. It tasted of mulch and loam. Snow dusted the leaves of the canopy except where bald hills, barren of any foliage except the most stubborn of shrubs, crested above the tree line. Thin pillars of light strike the ground and while a warm, yellow haze meanders along the forest floor, banishing much of the darkness and gloom. Only a few distant patches remain occluded by shadow.
Parts of the trail were hidden by overgrowth and disuse, but eventually merge into a well-travelled highway. The boughs of the trees have been trimmed back and arch over the road as if to form a natural tunnel. The passage of many wagons over the years have etched troughs into the ground, marking the lane.

Three adventurer’s have taken to the road, eager to discover a new world. A lone caravaneer approached them from behind. With a tug of the reigns, the stalwart auroch slowed to a halt. The portly man driving the wagon regarded the three travellers with outright suspicion at first. Easily underestimated, the man possessed a large, stocky frame and seemed naturally capable of supporting his ponderous girth. A stark contrast to the rest of him, his face was lean and rugged. His thick moustaches bristled forward like a prawn’s and partially hid the frown tugging on his lips. His eyes were calculating and corded muscle tightened beneath a deceptive layer of fat. In another life, he might have been a famous pugilist or wrestler, but the various barrels and cloth sack in the bed of his wagon suggested a different profession currently. The man’s intense expression slowly became a bit softer as he continued to scrutinize the strangers.

Three women alone on the road with no escort? Bandit’s I’ll wager… or adventurers. They’re obviously not pilgrims, and they’re dressed too strangely to be natives. They’re not wearing adventurer plates... perhaps they were new recruits? Still… they’re young enough to be my daughters! The man’s stomach churned at the thought.

“Are you folks by chance from the Adventurer’s Guild?” His shoulders were relaxed and his voice polite, but one hand was already slowly reaching for the short sword hidden beneath his cloak. Depending on their answer, he might be forced to overrun them and escape.



“By now I’m sure you’re aware of the dire state our once-noble kingdom is in. Entire cities have been razed by the beastmen, with their inhabitants slaughtered on the spot or taken back to their camps to stay fresh until they, too, are to be eaten. The military is stretched thin; what few adventurers haven’t abandoned us can’t make enough of a difference. Morale is at an all-time low. Queen Oriculus has in secret conceived of a desperate gamble to turn the tide: to construct a hidden base in the forest at the edge of the territory our family once governed, and after the hordes have swept past it, launch an offensive behind enemy lines to eliminate the beastmen’s leadership. It’s fallen to you, my sons, to spearhead this endeavor and strike a blow for humanity against the savages before they can rally their full strength into an all-out invasion. I assure you that I do not exaggerate when I say this endeavor may be our last hope to stem the tide.”



Through the hours of nighttime the journey lasted, rolling steadily onward until a smidgen of brightness on the horizon heralded a crack of dawn. Even as the comet overhead was masked by the radiance of the breaking day, Emile flew overhead to chart the course. Having elected to descend from the mountain where realities’ conflux had desposited them, the four skirted the range’s edge along the boundary between tree and stone. From on high the strigiforme could scout the oncoming terrain with ease, swooping down to inform Kallahar, Revenmar, and Lenore about obstacles and paths to avoid or traverse. The southbound group’s aerial scout also got his first glimpse at this new world’s life, and he could not say he liked what he saw. In clearings in the wood, or atop hills and knolls rising from the canopy, he could spy crude settlements of tents with their plumes of black smoke. Creatures that appeared to be half man and half animal inhabited them, resting, making preparations for battle, or fighting among themselves. Even in the air he could detect the sickly scent of what they were eating, and it was with a palpable grimness that he went down to tell the others that this region was home to beastmen who devoured humans.

Some time into the morning, during one of his chance rangings farther away from the main group, he spotted something curious. In a part of the forest filled with enormous trees packed too think to cram a fox through, his golden eyes could make out the shapes of buildings below the canopy. Curious, he descended for a closer look. After Emile landed in the upper bows of a towering tree, he discovered to his surprise a fortified village hidden in the dappled sunlight. It was filled with people, all working with a degree of industry that seemed usual for an ordinary town. Rather, it didn’t suit his expectations. He stared, wide-eyed, at everyone bustling around. Okay, okay, okay. Real people, got to think this through. Can’t come in and make a big scene. No dropping in out of the sky, surrounded by nature. Judging from all the walls and guards, this place’s got to be guarding against those animal tribes I saw earlier. So wherever we are, it’s a struggle between man and beast. We have to tread lightly. As quietly as he could, the strigiforme lofted into the air and made a birdline back to where he’d last seen his team.

He touched down on the rocky hillside across which the knights and the Flesh Smith were riding. As she’d been for a while now, his niece was moving using ‘Body Surf’, which in Yggdrasil had been like standing on top of a fleshy wave but in this world was far more disturbing. Like Scylla, the monster from greek myths, Lenore moved using an extension of her lower body that took the shape of a mass of fleshy beasts to drag her quickly across the ground. At first refusing to take her head out of her hands, Lenore had been able to proceed after some time by doing her best to ignore the mess beneath her, but even now she was still teary-eyed.

“There’s a village a ways off in the forest to the right. It’s well-defended, and looks like it’s mostly human.” He pulled off his helmet to get a breath of fresh air, and scratched his feathery head. “Maybe we oughta split into two groups. We don’t wanna attract attention, so it’d be best if me an’ Revanmar went ahead.”

---

"Aaaaahhh... The pleasant smell of the forest... This kind of thing is really rare on the real world and here we can enjoy it in abundance..."
The three were walking down the mountain trail; Selena being in the lead. She didn't really care where her feet took her, as long as it was towards their general destination. Even when there was a fork, with a faded sign that couldn't tell anything, she just merrily chose one road over the other, just by her whim. No sense in worrying about it. Getting lost for a little would only mean that they got to enjoy this natural beauty more.

However, the serenity they enjoyed was soon interrupted when a caravan approached them from behind. Serena turned to look at it, waving cheerfully at the driver.

"Hello! Nice morning, isn't it?"

Serena could tell that the man was anxious, especially after he asked whether or not they came from the guild.

"Yes, we are! We're now going back after finishing a quest actually!"

A white lie. There was no way he would accept the truth.