The World's Breath (MeTheMe & GeneticMess)

[MeTheMe]

The lab of Mental Maker Studios was actually quite nice, clean and mostly painted in bright colors. The first Alpha Tester had just arrived, and the whole building a buzz with excitement at the first test run, the make or break moment! Mildly invasive surgery had been done a week prior, they needed the port that would connect the VR set directly to the subject's spinal column, at the base of the skull. All subjects would be paid VERY well for that though, Lead Programmer Robert was convinced just trying this technology was enough of an incentive, but surgery was reason enough to pay for the testers. Robert and a few other staff were standing in a nice, almost sterile room, waiting for the subject.

The room had three 'pods' in it, like nice reclining chairs with cables in them, and protective covering that could be brought down over the entire person sitting in the chair, with clear protective glass. All were brand new technology, and brand new in general, tested, but hadn't seen real use yet! This was exciting! On the other end of the room a row of computers and screens, for monitoring the game, player, everything. Robert bounced on his feet gently as the door into the lab opened for the subject to come in. Robert himself was a seasoned man, 30 maybe, with tinges of grey in his long beard and hair. He had a baritone voice, and kind eyes. "Ah, our first subject!" He pulled up a clip board. "I bet you've been asked a million times already, but once more for me, name, please?"

[GeneticMess]

The first Alpha Tester stepped into Mental Maker Studios, and on his way to the lab, he could feel plenty of eyes on him. But for once, it was in a good way. He was breaking new ground here, and had been passionately following the game's development for a long time, making him all the more happy when he was lucky enough to get a chance to alpha test the game.

He was still getting used to the stiff, cold, metallic feeling in his back and neck. It was minor, and most of the time it went unnoticed, but the fact that he had a cable of some kind inside his body, plugged into his skull was still unnerving. But he just tried to think of other things, knowing that worrying about these things would give him unnecessary stress and paranoia.

The tester was a good several years younger than Robert, and was probably closer in age to some of the younger and more avid members of Mental Maker Studios. He was younger in age and face, his skin quite soft and practically hairless. His blonde hair was resting around the sides of his head while the top was tucked under a grey baseball cap, with a logo of Mental Maker's upcoming game. He'd obtained it through being a dedicated contributed to the game in it's crowdfunding stages, and he tipped it playfully at the lead programmer.

"Avery Arilly. I don't mind one bit, sir." He smiled and nodded, like he always did. This was it, this was the day. And he was sort of terrified.

[MeTheMe]

"Avery Arilly." Robert jotted it down, along with a few other things of importance on the clip board, and put the clip board back down. "Welcome to Mental Maker Studios! I know it's been something of a journey, with the surgery, and the waiver, and all that, but I'm honored you got through all of it to see this day, our first Alpha Tester! You have no idea how happy I am to see this!" He was nearly tearing up, this technology had been years in the making, the VR, the AI, the game itself, so much time and energy, and now it was so close.

"Where are my manners? Robert Karp, Lead Programmer and pretty much the head of Mental Maker Studios! Glad to finally meet you, Avery!" He held out a hand shook Avery's, he had a strong grip and good shake, smiling broadly. "Alright, so, we're going to go down the concerns again, you probably saw them all on the waiver, but best to be sure. First of all, you are not trapped in the game, the Exit button should he available to you the whole time, but if you do run into any problems, glitches with leaving, bugs, etc, a password will automatically release your port. -Password, Emergency, Killswitch- in that order. We can also unplug you out here, no one's had any adverse effects from unplanned unplugging, but if it does happen you may experience some dissociation, temporarily. That should be all the safety info on your port and leaving the game, let's see..."

He scratched at his beard. "The AI Director in the game is Matthew, he'll introduce himself in the game, I'm sure. Game time is based on real time, but as testing continues we can push the simulation further and make more days happen in game to squeeze more testing into less days. We'll go over that with you if we decide to do that. Dying in game is safe, no Tron threats of being deleted, but it is a little jarring so prep for that."

"Oh, The Reset, midnight each night, the game 'resets', killed NPCs will respawn, daily quests will come back up, gathering spots respawn, and the world is... not exactly as it was, but everyone will be alive again. The NPCs have a vague awareness of The Reset, but do still fear death, for the most part. Right... I think that's all the preliminary stuff, any questions?" He began to move them towards the pods, opening one up for Avery and patting the seat. "Right here, Avery."

[GeneticMess]

Oh wow, Avery could physically feel how much emotions were running high in this room, especially from Mr. Karp. He returned his handshake with a weaker one, his arm getting pulled around for a moment before Robert starting going over the safety procedures and some briefing. Hearing the latter certainly eased his worries, even if just a little. Everything else Avery was familiarized with, but let Robert explain anyway to refresh his memory.

Avery followed Karp to the pods, biting his lip a little nervously as it opened up before him. They were going to plug stuff into his head... the thought made him cringe, but he was pulling through with this, there was no turning back now. And excluding surgery costs, he was getting paid handsomely for this! With that kind of cash he could pursue a career as a game designer, start a family like he always wanted...

But before he knew it, hd was already sitting in the chair, having spaced out for a moment while further preparations were being made.

[MeTheMe]

"No questions? Speechless huh? Well, if you have any while in game, you can contact us from your menu, we'll be monitoring you the whole time, Matthew can answer most questions himself, as well. Alright, you're going to feel a slight pressure on your port, and your body will go unconscious, we have a medical crew, but nothing has gone wrong so far, so you should feel safe." He closed the pod on Avery, the glass allowing him to still see the crew outside.

"Alright, relax, don't panic, and just enjoy yourself..." With that, Robert opened the hatch for Avery's port, and put a long cable connector into it, twisting it to set it in place. There would be a slight pressure on that spot, a twitch at the base of his skull that would feel a little weird, but didn't last very long. With that, Avery's mind was no long in control of his body... it went comatose and his consciousness was pulled into the game of The World's Breath... outside his breathing was regular, and seemed fine, though several staff were ready in case something went wrong.

The world was a field a light blue, long dark blue grids crisscrossed over it in all directions, forever. A single man could be seen here, in flowing red robes. He looked a little like Robert, but his beard was a cascade of numbers and code that disappeared as they reached the end of the beard, and his eyes were a piercing gold. "Hello, player! I am Matthew, the AI director, I understand your name is Avery, but if you would prefer me to call you something else, now would be the time to let me know."

[GeneticMess]

With a hiss, the pod closed, Avery tapped his fingers anxiously on his legs, some worst case scenarios briefly running through his head... but before long, his ideas were no longer running through his head. His body became an empty shell, save for some mandatory bodily functions, while his consciousness was transported into The World's Breath.

He "awoke" in a seemingly endless void... God, this is what death must feel like. But Avery looked down at himself, shaking his arm and his leg. It felt very real, like he was conscious and walking. His awe at the surreal realism was interrupted as the AI Director he'd been told about, Matthew, was now standing before him. Was he always there? Avery was still very much getting used to being on a plane of existence different fron his own.

"... H-hi, yes, I'm Avery. Call me 'Mr. Arilly', though." A smile tugged at Avery's lips. He was only 19, but he'd always wanted to be called that. Felt professional and respectable.

[MeTheMe]

"Mr. Arilly it is! So, since keeping staff on the game all day everyday would require a lot, the coders and programmers made someone to run the game while they're away, and that's me." He took a little bow, smiling at Avery. "Right, so this is Alpha, so not all the systems will be implemented yet, I'm here to help show you want is done and what's not yet. One of the things not quite complete is the beginning, I have a tutorial for you to run, a small dungeon to teach you the basics, before you'll be opened up the world at large!"

He looked over Avery. "So, we're going to keep this mental image of you as your character for now, there is some customization in the game, but you'll unlock that as you go along. No classes, you'll get better at the things you do, leaving you open to try all sorts of things. You can make friends and allies, the AI in the game aren't quite as complex as I am, but they all do have personalities. I think that's the primer before I drop you. I'm ready for this to start when you are, but if you have any questions, I'll answer best I can now."

[GeneticMess]

On an impulse, Avery respectfully returned the bow to the robed, rainbow-bearded man. That was not a commonly-spoken sentence, not even for him. Not having much to add, he nodded in response as Matthew went over everything. If there had been classes, chances were Avery would get hung up over that so he was glad things were a bit more streamlined.

"I... um..." Avery scratched his head. "No, I think I'm good. If I have any questions, I'll flag you down, sir."

[MeTheMe]

AI Director Matthew and the blue world they were in slowly faded to black. "Then please, enjoy The World's Breath, Alpha 0.3.2. If you require anything, your menu has everything to contact me or Robert."

After a moment, Avery was left in the black of the void, and large, white words began to work their up his view. "The World's Breath: Prelude Chapter, placeholder title and intro. This has been it, the last straw for you, and the first step unto a journey like no other! Kobolds have attacked your farm and burned your crops for the last time, and with the militia so far away, and refusing to help, you've taken the issue into your own hands! Armed only with the clothes on your back and your pitchfork, you journey to their lair to take the fight to them for once, and be rid of their menace..."

Once the placeholder intro had played, the world faded back up, he was in a slightly forested area, bright sunlight breaking through the trees all over, and lighting several feet into the cave ahead of him. It was a hole in the side of a small mountain, sheer rock cliffs on this side of the mountain. The forest was quiet, although from inside the cave some yipping and movements could be heard. Avery himself was now dressed like a farmer, some basic clothes and a wide brimmed hat, a pitchfork in one hand, a torch in the other.

Words came for Avery. "Tutorial! Your inventory is infinite and invisible, you can put either the pitch fork or the torch in to free up your hands by thinking about it as you explore. Thinking about your inventory will bring it up on screen, allowing you to browse your items and pull them back out. Tutorial Mission: Suffer not a Kobold: Clear out the Kobold lair."

[GeneticMess]

Before Avery could even nod in response, everything went black, like all his senses had been muted. It felt like he was nowhere, and then text appeared on screen. He read them as they drifted by, and then everything faded back in. He squinted as sunlight hit his eyes, it felt incredibly real, along with everything else around him. This didn't feel like a game, it felt real!

And it was this point he noticed the brimmed hat on his head. He tried to take it off and feel it, surprised at the level of detail before putting it back on. Guess he was farmer with a vengeance, now! He moved his torch to his left hand, remembering something about a pitchfork, but where...?

Ah, a helpful tip! There were no button commands... obviously, but it ran off his thoughts instead. Really? He tried it out, imagining the pitchfork in his right hand, and bam! Now he just had to... but first, as he was a tester, after all, he had to try and push the game in a direction it might not intend. He looked into the forested area to his side, and tried to walk off in that direction. Must be an invisible wall, even trigger, or something that sent him back on his way...

[MeTheMe]

Everything felt so real, the warmth of the sun, the heat of the torch, the weight of the pitchfork when he held it, and a cool breeze blowing through the forest. The smell of the forest, an earthy tone, on the wind. His brain seemed to make it all real, at least to him. It had to be weird how much everything felt real.

As he headed away from his mission, more text came up on his screen. "Warning! You are leaving the tutorial zone, if this is your first time in The World's Breath, we suggest you return to The Kobold Lair and learn the basics before you head out into the world!" No invisible walls, not teleporting him back to the lair, just a warning that faded after a moment, leaving him alone in the forest again.

[GeneticMess]

Avery was started to think about the meticulous amounts of detail put into all this, it was like he was on a different plane of reality altogether! His thoughts were interrupted by a prompt that, while it did nudge him back in the direction of the tutorial, did nothing to actually stop him.

He looked back at the cave, at the forest, then back at the cave before turning around. Avery had to do the tutorial, going in blind to an open-world game like this could lead to frustration if he didn't even know the basics. Pitchfork in his right hand and torch in his left, he stepped into the cave, ready for some little fodder enemies to appear any moment, now.

[MeTheMe]

The cave wasn't illuminated the further he went in, the torch becoming the only thing letting him see into the stone, rocky path. The warmth of the torch was in stark contrast to how cool the cave was becoming the further he went into it. Ahead there were small sounds, something like yips, and tiny claws on stone.

It wound back and forth a little ways, until becoming a long hallway, a single kobold in it, his back turned to Avery, looking further into the cave. Kobolds were small, about three to four feet tall, and spoke mostly in yips and barks. They were scaly, with long, dragon like snouts. This one had red scales, and some tattered cloth armor on. A dagger in one hand, it seemed intent on looking the other way away from Avery.

Message prompt. "Fighting! Fighting in The World's Breath is done much as it is the real world, your hands and weapons work like they should! The more skilled you are with a weapon, the more damage you can do, and get some special powers! You'll find in this world the more skill with a weapon you have, using it tires you less as well! Stab this kobold, while his back is turned!"

[GeneticMess]

Eugh, it was getting pretty dark in here... he got a little paranoid, but again, this was relegated by knowing no serious threats would be here. That, and this was just a game, after all.

Avery spotted the Kobold as soon as his figure was illuminated by the torch light, and immediately slowed his strut. Could he not see him? The tutorial quip somewhat confirmed this, and he held up his pitchfork to attack, before getting other ideas. Experimentation was a tester's best tool, after all. For the time being, he mentally willed his pitchfork away to his inventory, before creeping closer to the Kobold. All he needed to do was let the fire from his torch trickle upon the flammable cloth long enough to set it ablaze...

[MeTheMe]

The poor, tattered clothes of the kobold were like kindling to the torch's flame, catching fire quickly and filling the stony hall with screams! The kobold's health bar appeared above it's head, with a small flame icon next to it. Stop, drop, and roll, was all the kobold thought to do, but the damage was done, it's health bar dropped quickly, and at zero the poor beast was killed, it's body bursting into redish polygonal shapes, that shattered into smaller shapes, before fading away, leaving a glowing, white flame orb in front of him.

Flame Magic Proficiency +1
Kobold Notes Gained!

A new message appeared for him. "Defeated enemies will leave loot for you to pick up! Put your hand in the glowing flame to see what you can loot. As you use weapons or skills, they will increase in power and usefulness. As you defeat enemies you will gain Notes on them, allowing you to know their weaknesses and strengths, along with some lore." If he put his hand in the flame, a menu would open with a dagger and 10 gold available for him to add to his inventory.

[GeneticMess]

Avery chuckled softly at the Kobold's comedic demise, actually a bit surprised his method of attack worked as well as it did! He stepped forward and immediately reached for the white flame shortly after it appeared, prior experience telling him this is where he'd get loot. And sure enough, he got a dagger and 10 gold, both of which would serve him well as a fledgling adventurer.

"No tattered, wimpy Kobold armor? I was hoping to try some on myself." He joked to himself quietly, his quiet voice just barely echoing in the immediate area. He looked down the cavern, figuring the only way to go was forward.

[MeTheMe]

As he headed deeper into the cave, more yipping and barking could be heard, along with some shouts of pain. "Ahh! Stop! Stop!" Echoed through the cave system, but whatever was going on clearly wasn't going to stop, as the shouts of pain and anguish continued.

The cave hall ended in a larger cave room, with three kobolds in it. One was chained to the wall, writhing and screaming in pain, as two others poked and prodded him with small, makeshift spears. "No! Traitors suffer!" The room has some more chains as if ready for more prisoners, along with a table with some keys lazily tossed on it, some dried meats and bread left on the table as well. One of the two attackers turned to see Avery, yipping angrily! "Human! Invader! Outsider!" Both kobolds turned to Avery, spears held ready.

[GeneticMess]

Someone calling for help? Well, he was the designated video game hero, here, so he had to help! He walked further into the cave system, until he reached what seemed to be a dead end. Avery immediately looked at his surroundings, nabbing the dried meats and bread from the table and putting it in his inventory, before taking out the actual weapon he'd been given, holding it in his right hand with the torch in his left.

"Hold up! This torture show's over!" Avery announced his entrance, living out a bit of a power fantasy. It wasn't like these monsters were real, so he could slay with reckless abandon. He tried swinging and stabbing with his pitchfork, with varying amounts of success.

[MeTheMe]

Some success was found with one kobold, the pointed, rusty prongs of the pitchfork struck true a couple times, large wounds opening up. There wasn't any real blood or gore, but instead more polygonal red shapes, that burst into small shapes before fading, the kobold followed suit as he dies, bursting into blood physics and fading away, leaving the fiery white light of loot.

The second yipped angrily! "Intruder! Killer!" One of it's attack struck Avery, taking a small amount of health off of him, only 3 out of his 51 max. "You've been hurt! When your Health reaches zero, you'll die, and will respawn back where you last slept, or at spawn if you have not slept in an area. Spells and resting are a good way of healing, and having a full stomach will see you slowly regenerate health!" A makeshift was still being pointed and swung at him, as the message faded, leaving him to still deal with the small pain.

[GeneticMess]

Avery winced and immediately held up the end of his pitchfork defensively as he'd been hit, scuttling backwards and trying put some distance between him and the lone kobold. To his surprise, getting hit hurt! Like, actually hurt! Not a lot, but it did take him back a bit. Realism had its draws, he supposed. In an act of over-preparation, he took loafs of bread and hunks of dried meat from his inventory and started stuffing them in his mouth. Having a full belly gave him health regen, and although he'd only taken small damage, he was better safe than sorry! Avery still swung at the Kobold with the pitchfork in his freehand, moreso trying to shoo him away while he ate than trying to kill him at the moment.