Lunar Interlude 6 - OOC post

[balancemod]

Exhausted Reclaimers aren't really reclaiming anything. Please, take this time to rest. NAVIGATION 1. WELCOME NEW ARRIVALS Welcome, new Reclaimers! For those of you who were just pulled through the dimensions and plopped right on down on the soft grass of the Quad, things might seem ... awfully quiet. Generally, the people of the Moon Base view the arrival of the newest batch of Reclaimers as something of a grand spectacle, and considering the (technical) success of the last mission, you'd expect them to be up in arms in celebration. Not quite today. The Bureau of Balance was successful in retrieving the latest Grand Relic, giving them a solid four out of five successes, but it came at a great physical and emotional toll, far greater than anything they'd experienced before. And the woman who welcomes you, who introduces herself as Madame Director ... though her voice is steady, there's also a weariness there. "I assure you that any questions you might have will be answered in due time. In a few moments, actually. But I would also like to stress the importance of acclimating yourself, of getting to know your fellow *kzzzztt* as well as possible. After ... what I will describe as a particularly trying past few weeks, I must continue to believe, fiercely, that there is nothing stronger than the bonds we share with each other. "Cultivate them. Cherish them. You and your friends, your strength, are the ones who will save our universe." Next to her stands a precocious child, a bracer attached to his wrist. With no where else to go, with no one to watch over him, Lucretia thought to take him in. His name is Angus. THE VOIDFISH + TEST OF INITIATION New Reclaimers will be shown down to the chamber of the Voidfish. There are some rites and rituals that need to be performed before any of thise makes sense to you. People around you mention words like "relics" and "Reclaimers," but all you can hear is the low humming static of a television screen that's lost reception. No worries, a nightcap from the giant nebulus bearing jellyfish's tank will clear most of that up... provided you can stomach it. It smells, and tastes, just as bad as you can imagine. From there, you will be paired into groups of two for the Test of Initiation. When you and your partner walk into the Arena, a form-fitting space, the simulators switch to Initiation Mode, the scenery shifts, and your test begins. AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR VETERAN RECLAIMERS: This is a brand new Test of Initiation, and something the Director feels everyone might need to experience. So, everyone, not just newbies, is strongly encouraged to participate. There will be more details about the test on the log. Before you go into it, though, consider the following question: What is one thing your character values most? Generally speaking, however, no one should actually fail the test outright. Think of it as a little bit of plot armor; you shouldn't be at the Bureau of Balance if you can't get through one relatively easy (or insanely hard?) trial. Since everybody will be ICly encouraged to participate this go around, everybody will be able to submit their Initiation Test thread for a bonus. This Interlude, you will be rewarded with a small, nonmagical item from your home. Think of it as a small memento to remind yourself what you're fighting to restore. You can fill out the form for Test of Initiation threads on the AC page to claim your reward. 3. LAGNIAPPE We'll have more in the log prompts on Friday, but in the meantime, here are some deets to get your gears turning: ○ After five missions, the Bureau of Balance has found footing in several cities and settlements across Faerun — and despite some (a lot) of collateral damage, the people who live there are grateful for the work you did to end the conflicts they were trapped in. You have restored the spirit of Candlenights to a town that cherishes it. You saved a desert town from a powerful, impending threat from another plane. You helped rebuild said desert town after an unrelated mishap with a ball of yarn. You drove out a cluster of pirates and returned power to a royal family. And the contacts who remain in Vista Virs and Lyrabar would like to give you all a chance to visit their cities as they're intended to be visited. No missions. No relics. No impending doom. Just good, old-fashioned tourism. There will be prompts for each settlement, and anyone is welcome to visit each city, but please keep in mind that we will not be fielding investigation rolls for any of these settings. You're just there to kick back! Please kick back. ○ Lucas and Miss Zarves, the two people on the Moon Base who are most familiar with the tech up there, have been hard at work, too, though Lucas might comment that his new colleague is, ehm ... a bit difficult to work with? A lot difficult to work with. Nonetheless, they've made some new additions to the Moon Base for you to check out. Please look forward to it! Additionally, if you participated in the Call to Action of the last mission, congratulations! You have earned a token to use in the fantasy gacha globe at the Artificer's office. Grab the link to your thread and head on over here to roll for a new magic item. 4. AN OOC NOTE First off, welcome to Balance, New Reclaimers! Our Lunar Interlude log will go up Friday, Oct. 18. If you have just apped in, you won't be required to submit full AC, but you will need to check in by 11:00 p.m. EST Oct. 31. If you have a thread with 5+ comments though, you are free to submit bonus AC and pick up a new path ability. Additionally, as we said earlier, if you submit your Initiation thread on the AC page, you'll qualify for the reward. Please make sure your Initiation thread and your bonus AC threads are two separate threads! You can view the activity page here.