Haha

Cacophony Concord

My vote is: 1 Discord, 1 Reddit, 1 Video Game/Anime Memes

Cacophony Concord

There is no obvious advantage, naw. You'd have to be a real masochist to have it turned to 100%.

@ERode

Welp.

Cacophony Concord

^[Mentions] @ERode

---

"Twll dy din di! Twll ti!" Alys widened her eyes and her jaw dropped wide open as the perspective change swept her up with a case of vertigo. Her knees began to shake, chills ran down her spine- and then the sudden realization that none of this was real brought them back to reality.

It wasn't but moments ago that she was sitting in her comfortable [Elite MadLabX] gaming chair before initializing the game and full-diving her consciousness into the device willingly. The interface was swift- the comfort was second to none- and this startup experience was nothing like Alys had ever seen before. Her heart began to race so much that she began to think that maybe this would be the moment that her high-sodium diet finally caught up to her, and even if it did she twisted that thought into some strange delusion about her consciousness being permanently stuck in this new world. And her feet hadn't even touched the ground yet.

But that didn't matter right now. In this moment, she was away from the world and its infinite problems- Alys traded them all away for the challenges that awaited her here in Cacophony Concord. Why not fully immerse herself?

“Quite a sight, no?” A midnight owl donning some fancy-shmancy glasses asked, his question caught the girl completely by surprise- his appearance probably should have given her some form of fright.

"Fuck all, you're an interesting 'un." Alys accent was truly here in all of its flowery glory, the grown woman glanced the creature over with the utmost fascination.

The large spectacle of an avian creature calmly maintained his composure in response to the woman's comment. The creature leaned in for a moment- its plumage rustling as the monstrous head grew closer to Alys to take a closer look. The bright eyes of the owl widened, Alys widened her own as well- it was as if two beings of pure curiosity had just crossed paths. But the guide character would soon break the silence as its voice boomed in the void they stood in once again. “Welcome to Cacophony Concord, I am the 4th Administrative Function, Minerva, in charge of welcoming new players and assisting them through the character creation process.”

A screen manifested out of thin air right in front of Alys, equipped with countless sliders and customization options galore- all of which stood next to a stark naked model of her fully scanned self. Alys let out an incomprehensible noise, something like a grunt or perhaps a screech- the sound came from the back of her throat and it seemed to escape without her knowing. Her face loomed closer to the screen as she carefully examined every single detail. It's safe to say that this was an overwhelming amount of options to Alys, but that state of being overwhelmed was fully and happily welcomes.

“You may alter your current form however you wish, or we may approximate a model for you based off an image you can upload here. Changes made can be experienced via the ‘Trial’ button, but as a precaution, note that grossly warping your physical form for the purposes of ‘living a meme dream’ may cause intense psychological discomfort afterwards.”

The woman's eyes briefly peeled from the customization screen multiple times. The first was at the mention of uploading an image, the second was when the trial button was mentioned, and the last was when the meme dream comment was made. An unladylike chuckle escaped her lungs as her glance returned to the menu, shaking her head at the enjoyable personality this [Administrator] had. Alys slowly guided her hand to the image uploader- and thanked all god she had recently paid an artist she found on Instragram to draw a few renditions of her MMO character. [CalaceFull.jpeg] was selected and quickly the sliders began to adjust themselves to formfit her naked body into the pasty, lavender-haired midget that now appeared.

“User Experience options can be altered in-game, but note that once you have selected your appearance and allotted your starting attributes, those are permanently set in place, and can only be altered in…a realistic fashion.” This bit of information greatly peaked the curiosity of Alys. There was also these gameplay related options like pain realism, the style of the action combat, nudity- this game was really hardcore. She bit her lip and felt the slightest bit of pressure. Her arm extended with a hand open to select her options, realism was important for everything, maybe not the graphics- she nonchalantly selected the anime option and moved on to the important stuff. Gore was selected to be turned [on], Pain was set to [100%], Clothing Damage was set to be [on], Nudity Censor was turned [off], Combat Action & Spell Incantations were both set to be [on].

Character Creation

Race: Human
Gender: Female
Height: 139 cm
Weight: 38 kg
Voice Pitching: -30
Decorations: Two simple black earrings, one in each ear.

Appearance

There was no shortage of whimsically designed characters spawned from the cerebral cortex of lonely, bored, players who sought the sweet release from their normal monotonous lives here in Cacophony Concord. Towering well-endowed elf girls in skimpy armor, edgy thieves duel wielding swords in black coats, it wasn't a new idea to create one's ideal silhouette to project upon but Cacophony Concord sure did have quite a selection of options. Alys was no different than the rest with that power when she birthed the newest iteration of her coveted character, Calace. The player's avatar stood at the converted height of approximately four feet and five inches. Her skin was deathly pale as if she had never allowed herself to meet the sun, the irises within her big bright baubles hued an unnatural purple shade that seemed to stare longingly at every creature that dared enter her vision. Her hair seemed to have once been purple or maybe a shade of pink- but had long dulled and muted to a white with very trace amounts of lavender weaved in between each lock of hair. Her hair also seemed to be both messy in some aspects, while being neat in others? It was brushed and maintained with no split ends- but all the while the length of her bangs and along her back was uneven as if it hadn't been cut in a long-long time. But the most distinguishing thing about her hair would be the four long braids, two along the sides of her head and the other pair hanging behind them.

_____________________________________________

Attributes

HP – 20
MP – 20
SP – 5
STR – 5
AGI –10
END – 5
DEX – 5
LUC – 10

Classes: None

User Experience

Perception: Chuuni.
Gore: On
Pain Setting: 100%
Clothing Damage: On
Nudity Censor: Off
Profanity Censor: Off
Combat Action: Manual
Spell Incantations: Manual

“That is all. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Otherwise, enjoy your character creation.” Minerva's concluding words were almost dismissive.

Alys widened her eyes and canted her head left and right as she looked at the administrative bird of dark and edginess. She felt that they were kindred spirits- even if he was some programmed NPC, or if he wasn't. Both of her fingers snapped together before aiming finger guns at the enormous owl and winked a single eye, playfully. "Can ya' alter ma' speech so m'not sounding absolutely bollocks? I'd like Calace ta' sound prim and proper if ya' could." Alys brazenly stared straight at the admin owl, gesturing at the character in a number of ways- some bumps into the air with her elbow, more finger guns, all before placing her hands on her hips awaiting the all-mighty-being's response.

Cacophony Concord

@ERode I've got a few questions for ya' boss boi.

Voice Pitching: does that start off from your character's base voice, and then you adjust the pitch from there?
Perception: Would fantasy still be pseudo-realistic where as anime is straight 2D- or is there some overlap?
Combat Action: What's the difference between manual and stylish- same thing with spell incantations?

Cacophony Concord

Alys

Alys Kaleigh

Age: Twenty-nine years young.
Gender: She's a lady.
Nationality: Welsh
Description: The baby-faced young lady standing before you imposes at the impressive height of five feet and seven inches, a few of those extra inches may be tacked on while wearing boots. Her frame is nothing too impressive with her small noodle arms and bony angular profile. Her complexion is a pasty ivory white- seemingly more exaggerated on her face with the drastically contrasting makeup around her eyes and lips. Eye color was a deep and boring brown, though her eyes are rather big. Her hair is a natural brownish-red cut tight above shoulder length with her bangs cut just below her browline. She definitely seems to own the alternative aesthetic, whether it's genuine or a front however- that's the real question.

Alys lives in Llanfair, and has lived their her whole life. Her father and mother were law school sweethearts that against the odds made it through to the end, and now happily married while running a joint law firm together. Neither of them came from wealthy backgrounds though, grandma and grandpa were both standard blue collar workers. Their accumulated wealth was self-made through numerous won cases and some good luck, now they're driving salaryman cars together and vacationing on private islands every summer. But then there's Alys. School wasn't the issue, she was a smart gal with two very intelligent parents. Maybe she got caught up in the wrong crowd, and a bad interaction with her scene resulted in what she is now. A black sheep in every way- living in the shadow of two successful people. She's nearly thirty years old and what does she have to show for it?

She had always enjoyed multiplayer games. The same friendships could be built without the constrictions, and most certainly without the reputations. As an anonymous, faceless, nameless figure behind the screen she could portray herself as someone unburdened by the expectations of reality. Supportive roles in First-Person Shooters, Healers in RPGs, she wanted to add value to this online persona she invented over the years known as "Calace". There wasn't a following for her or anything- but rumors of a "very eccentric roleplayer" who played a healer did make their rounds on a number of MMOs, and in Cacophony Concord she plans on maintaining that reputation. Maybe you've even heard the rumors of a black-clad lolita who isn't dressed for her role in the slightest?

Character Creation

Race: Human
Gender: Female
Height: 139 cm
Weight: 38 kg
Voice Pitching: -30
Decorations: Two simple black earrings, one in each ear.

Appearance

There was no shortage of whimsically designed characters spawned from the cerebral cortex of lonely, bored, players who sought the sweet release from their normal monotonous lives here in Cacophony Concord. Towering well-endowed elf girls in skimpy armor, edgy thieves duel wielding swords in black coats, it wasn't a new idea to create one's ideal silhouette to project upon but Cacophony Concord sure did have quite a selection of options. Alys was no different than the rest with that power when she birthed the newest iteration of her coveted character, Calace. The player's avatar stood at the converted height of approximately four feet and five inches. Her skin was deathly pale as if she had never allowed herself to meet the sun, the irises within her big bright baubles hued an unnatural purple shade that seemed to stare longingly at every creature that dared enter her vision. Her hair seemed to have once been purple or maybe a shade of pink- but had long dulled and muted to a white with very trace amounts of lavender weaved in between each lock of hair. Her hair also seemed to be both messy in some aspects, while being neat in others? It was brushed and maintained with no split ends- but all the while the length of her bangs and along her back was uneven as if it hadn't been cut in a long-long time. But the most distinguishing thing about her hair would be the four long braids, two along the sides of her head and the other pair hanging behind them.

_____________________________________________

Attributes

HP – 500
MP – 700
SP – 25
STR – 7
AGI – 62
END – 15
DEX – 15
LUC – 30

Classes: Miko

Skills

Talisman Creation – Passive. All active spells can be crafted into Talisman consumables if five times the cost is paid. Talismans created this way can be used once by yourself before they are destroyed.

Healing Chant – Active. 10 MP cost. Three word incantation. Release a beam of light, healing the first target struck for 20 HP.

Severing Rite – Active. 30 MP cost. Three word incantation. Release a blast of invisible force, exploding against the first target struck. Has a chance of knocking back the target.

Mantra of Respite – Active. 100 MP cost per round. Continuous incantation. A gentle breeze swirls out from you, recovering 50 SP for a maximum of four allies of your choice within a 25 meter radius.

Purifying Chant – Active. 50 MP cost. Five word incantation. Select a target within your line of sight. Holy flame will surround them, with a chance of removing any magical buffs or debuffs.

Restraining Rite – Active. 40 MP cost. Eight word incantation. Release an inky projectile at a target. If it hits, Arcane calligraphy emerges their body, reducing their AGI by 20 for a round.

Devotion to the [Lady of the Alabaster Scales] – Passive. Allies affected by your Talismans or Spells gain [10 AGI].

User Experience

Perception: Chuuni.
Gore: On
Pain Setting: 100%
Clothing Damage: On
Nudity Censor: Off
Profanity Censor: Off
Combat Action: Manual
Spell Incantations: Manual

The Missing Goddess - A Hero's Journey

Very-potentially-interested~

That being said, I'm going to send you a PM @MagratheanWhale!

Cacophony Concord

I guess it's time to research big succ yokai to take inspiration from.

Cacophony Concord

@Yankee we gotta start the paid party business so we can buy a personal yacht.

Cacophony Concord

What are we at now, like thirteen-fourteen people? Are we going to rock-paper-scissors for spots?

SPIRITUM

@Yankee@stone@fledermaus@KaiserElectric@Dusty

---

“Lucky the damn thing didn’t land right on top of us.” Sam commented, tracing the smoke trail with his finger. Sam pointed out a few of the parachutes he saw dropping as live ones. Fortunately for them, the Barghest squad was close by, unfortunately for the Barghests, the parachutes seemed to be landing near the heart of the crash. Zak and Ray piped in as well, expressing their own concerns- Ray, the big teddy bear, was as usual worried about others, and Zak expressed his desire to go help as well.

Galahad nodded, ”Well, the gryphon’s gone and it looks like phone services are cut off in the immediate area- if we don’t go help them, I don’t think they’ll make it long enough for any rescue services. Hell, the only other people who saw the crash is probably Sappl Springs, and they don’t exactly look like they have the manpower for a rescue op.”

”That’s why we’re going!” Asa blasted out, her eyes squinting with dismay as she absorbed the sights and wonders along their little adventure. She blew a few raspberries as they trekked through the wasteland, her boots absentmindedly stomping over rocks and gravel as they pressed on.

”Fuck all knows that it’ll be more entertaining than this shit.” Her venomous words seemed aimed at their leader in particular, daggers aimed directly at the poor Galahad.

”How was I supposed to know hunting a gryphon was going to be boring?” Galahad retorted with a snort.

”You’re the straight-laced asskisser! Aren’t you supposed to be playing 4D chess in your head at all times? Unacceptable.”

Galahad rolled his eyes, ”Well, you’re welcome because my 4D Chess game just landed us our first Op before we’ve even hit the front lines.”, Galahad dismissed with a wave of his hand, his sidearm appearing from within the mist. He slid it into its holster on his side. ”Alright squad, gear up and get sober. We’re going on a Rescue Op.

Galahad pointed at Sabina and a few of the othersYou guys head back for the truck, if there are injured, chances are we’re going to need it to move them anywhere. The rest of you, with me.”

---

The Barghest squad arrived at the crash- or one part of the crash anyway- standing upon the lip of a huge crater and staring down upon the crashed leviathan. The wrecked airship had smashed its nose into the ground like a spear from the heavens, scattering across miles of wreckage. A twisted altar composed of flame and warped metal that lit up the night around it in proclamation. The long claw mark of the crashed ship large enough to fit the entirety of Sappl Springs within. Heat from fire and mist radiated from all around them and could be felt from the edge.

”Careful from here on in. The mist here is going crazy.”

Even those that weren’t as magical attuned as Galahad could feel it. An otherworldly and oppressive hum that seemed to encase the entire area and made his hair stand on end. It felt almost as if they were swimming on land, the very air itself was thick and lethargic with unseen heft. Ahead of them small flames burst into roaring pillars of fire as they interacted with the mist. In other small areas pieces of debris remained suspended in air as if gravity itself had turned off. In other still small desert flowers bloomed and died within an instant as time sped up around them. There was an old adage about mist reactors: when they broke, reality had a habit of breaking with them.

Galahad surveyed his surroundings taking in the display of carnage. Pieces of metal lay scattered across the ground like warped and distorted bones. There were other objects as well strewn across like toys after a child was done playing with them. There was half a chair here, the broken head of a statue there, and the remnants of a bed and so on. It all seemed far too ornate for any kind of military involvement reminding Galahad more of the estates in Orestia than anything else.

Then of course there were the bodies.

Galahad remembered the “Jane incident”. They hadn't been at the Citadel for very long- four years at the most. There was this kid Jane, she was another magical type like Galahad. However unlike self-confident Galahad, Jane had doubts. The thing about Mist is it's a fickle bitch and it can sense your apprehension. So one day when they were all practicing Jane had the task of creating a shield out of fire, a basic sort of defense spell. But Jane was scared so the spell turned on her and so did the fire. It was hard to forget the smell of burning hair and flesh, and it was that all too familiar smell that assaulted Galahad’s nose.

Most were charred beyond recognition but some weren't. Galahad knelt down in front of one of the bodies that had been thrown to the lip of the crater, using his foot to turn the man over. A man maybe in his mid-late thirties, dark hair cut in military fashion, stubble across the jaw. It was the burnt remains of his uniform that drew Galahad’s attention the most. It was a uniform that he and the rest of Barghest had been studying for years: A Vangar officer's uniform.

”They’re fuckin’ imperials!” Asa shouted, probably some form of effort to announce this to her comrades. She was probably one of the last ones to notice that detail, however.

It was in her nature to scavenge, in her blood even. Her eyes glanced along some of the nearby bodies, the ones that weren’t blown to smithereens, shuffling through their wardrobe for anything shiny or metal. A mischievous smile was painted from ear to ear and she copped a loose watch, platinum alloy, nice engravings on it too. And then there was a Vangar Imperial Navy Sidearm, nothing like gramps could make, but free is free!

Before she got too far, Galahad stepped in and pulled her back by the shoulders- a bit rougher than expected. ”Mist Spot.” he stated bluntly, that enough of an explanation in and of itself. Asa had gotten perhaps a foot away from melting her face off.

To most, Mist was invisible, and hard to detect, and even those trained in detecting the Mist could find difficulty tracing it in such a Mist-Hot location- such as the crash they were currently in. Some or the larger pockets of Mist were easily recognizable: the floating rubble and intense heat were things that people could easily notice and avoid. The more difficult to spot plumes were the medium strength plumes of Mist. Their energies masked by the intense heat of the crash itself, the Mist spots, while not as deadly as walking face first into a Mist spike, were much more dangerous due to their difficulty to spot and side-effects. Mist burn was an injury commonly experienced by search and rescue crews- and was often their cause of death. Much like radiation, absorbing too much Mist from these invisible plumes would cause nausea and could destroy the body quickly if left untreated.

It also made the use of energy based and ranged spells problematic. A lightning bolt could set off a stray pocket of Mist, and then they'd all be in danger. And since detecting some these Mist pockets were difficult for even dedicated mages, it effectively gimped the range that they could safely fling spells. More of a problem for himself than any of the other members of the team, as no one else was a dedicated spell slinger, at least not in the same vein as himself.

”And don’t loot the fucking corpses. We’re Wardens not conscripts.” He added with an exasperated sigh.

”I wasn’t going to get that close.. but they’re dead, not like they need any of this shit anyway.” Asa pouted before glancing to Galahad and the rest of her team, sifting the watch into her right pocket and popping the clip out of the handgun to see if it were loaded. It was- so she’ll take the small win.

”But if there is a fuckton of mist spots.. which I can now see that there most likely will be. How the fuck are we supposed to do anything?” She quipped, surveying the entire scene with a strained frown upon her face. Even if they were the enemy, it looked rough.

”There’s still a way to the center, just be careful- everyone. Galahad replied as he stared down the crater, mentally marking all the hotspots he could see.

”Alright squad, let’s fan out. Zak, Ray check out the bodies, maybe there’s a survivor somewhere in here. Sam, Bete- security. We’re alone out here, I’d like it to stay that way- make sure we’re clear. Asa, figure out what we’re looking at here- and be careful about it. I’ll be calling out mist spots as I see them, so keep an ear out for me.”

Finally, something worthwhile for the scatterbrained bitch of a Warden to focus on. She beamed a toothy smile to Galahad, quickly forgetting about the previous back and forth between the two. Her right hand flattened and raised diagonally to her opposing shoulder, offering the big-brain a Aporian salute before digging her boot heels deep into the earth below and taking off in a flash.