DUNGEON SIGN-UPS: KEYSTONE REEF

[phantasmods]

LET THE SIGN-UPS BEGIN.

KEYSTONE REEF

A rocky reef with some outcroppings of coral and warm currents, to the northeast of the station and shoreline. It's the reason behind the now-broken lighthouse - a warning for ships about the shallows and rocks that lie within the span of its light. At the far end of the reef, if one squints through the wavery distortion of the Fissure, a second lighthouse, this one with tower intact, can be seen. Those familiar with such things will note that it is positions on the edge of a warm current, making the sea much warmer and more tropical than the average would be for the climate of the station itself.

In total, there are six regions to be explored in this Fissure, the last of which will only be opened at the end of the event. They are mostly divided into two groups - those that can be accessed only by characters who are under the Fissure's effects, and those that can only be accessed by those who still have feet to walk around with. (The latter group will have access to small boats - two medium-sized rowboats, a dinghy, a canoe, and three inflatable rafts with motors attached to the back.)

• THE SHALLOWS - The area of the reef closest to the Station, accessible to both land- and sea-bound characters. Full of rocky outcrops similar to the Fingers nearer to land, this area also features shallow waters (rarely more than twenty feet or so deep) and plentiful coral and fish.
• OUTER SANDBARS - [Terrestrial] - A series of sandbars of various sizes along the outer edge of the reef. Here it becomes fairly apparent that the climate of the Fissure itself has been altered to a more tropical state, as the three largest sandbars are home to vegetation better suited to much hotter regions.
• SHIPWRECK: THE TRIVESTA - [Terrestrial] - A huge metal hull sticking up over the rocks. At one time, clearly a shipping vessel, but quite obviously no longer seaworthy. In addition to the normal access points on the tilted deck, there's also a massive gash along the side of the hull allowing access. Spooky.
• CORAL GRAVEYARD - [Aquatic] - And the Trivesta isn't the only shipwreck to be found along the edge of the reef; it's just that most of the others are well below the waves. As the water deepens, the wreckage of numerous hulls can be found for poking around in, though most are coated in coral and none as intact as the Trivesta above.
• THE GAP - [Aquatic] - An undersea canyon right along the edge of the reef, thin but deep. Very little light reaches its depths as a result, and so the sea life here is prone to glowing against the darkness. Mind the pressure before you try to go too deep.
• ??? - The far lighthouse, occupying a small rocky isle, will be home to a boss battle at the conclusion of the dungeon!

Full details and a map will, as usual, come with the posting of the dungeon itself.

DUNGEON-WIDE EFFECT

This dungeon is the first dungeon with a transformation-type effect - specifically, it's mermaids! Those who become fully submerged in the water (whether in an attempt to swim or just by falling in) will find themselves transformed into something... A little more at home in the water.

The exact extent of the transformation is left to player discretion, and ranges anywhere from "just suddenly has gills" to "disney-style mermaid" to "full on completely altered mer, potentially only barely recognizable." This effect is also optional - there will be a handful of boats that unaffected characters can use to get around the terrestrial areas of the dungeon!

Please note that the sign-up form has a note for if your character is affected or not - this is just so that the mods aren't giving aquatic characters loot that isn't waterproof! If you change your mind, you can edit up until the dungeon goes up.

TEAM STAY-AT-HOME

As noted previously, characters that do not go on the dungeon expedition will have an opportunity to participate on a plot event! There will be two portions to this - one open to everyone who signs up, and one NPC interaction for 2-3 characters (picked based upon a combination of RNG and general activity levels).

Both sections of the Stay-At-Home event will take place on locked posts on the NPC journal (personalityquarks ). Characters who participate in Stay-At-Home will not be eligible for loot (as they're not going on the expedition).

Because of the need to assign plot roles, Team Stay-At-Home signups will close on Tuesday (earlier than the dungeon sign ups)! Please note that if you neglect to sign up, your character will not be automatically included in Team Stay-At-Home - it will instead be assumed that they're just doing their usual thing around the station. Plot role characters will be revealed before the dungeon goes live.

LOOT

As before, characters obtain one piece of loot for signing up for the dungeon and an additional roll per 15 comments on the dungeon log. Additionally, characters can receive a bonus loot roll for tagging someone new on the Test Drive! Please also note that comment based loot is capped at five rolls, making for a total of up to seven pieces of loot that each character can gain.

Newcomers who participate in the dungeon can also receive loot for comments made to the last two days of the dungeon log, in addition to their entry loot attached to their acceptance notices. This loot can be found under the sign-ups header at the conclusion of the dungeon, in a comment with their journal name as the subject line.

IC LENGTH

This expedition will last for three days ICly, from May 20-22. Team Stay-At-Home's plot event will take place ICly either late on the 21st or early on the 22nd, depending on exactly how character schedules sort out for participants.

END-DUNGEON EVENT

This dungeon's end-of-dungeon event will be a boss battle, with separate parts for both land and sea characters!

SIGN-UP FORMS

DUNGEON

<b>Player name:</b><br /><b>Character name + Journal</b>:<br /><b>Aquatic loot only?</b>:

TEAM STAY-AT-HOME

<b>Player name:</b><br /><b>Character name + Journal</b>:

EVERYTHING ELSE

Where's that android?: Those who go around the labs looking for the androids in their usual spaces will find that Charm and Top, in particular, tend to be missing off at an unknown location for long periods of time. Once in a while, they can be seen coming and going from the Annex, but whatever they're doing in the lower levels there is mostly a mystery... Unless you're a certain someone who has offered his expertise to help with their project, anyway.

A matter of time and space: Given the recent influx of new arrivals, the androids are understandably concerned about there being enough space for any more people, if the group coming back from this next expedition is anything like the previous. For the week or so before the expedition, characters will be able to find Up outside the buildings, out past Kurama's orchard, scribbling something on a clipboard. The last few days also see the frame of another building go up - but just a frame, for the time being.

A POLL: If we were to do an IC movie stream, what times and days of the week would be good for you? (Please also include timezone.) This also applies to planning events like IC CAH and so forth.

And a bonus - !: A few more things were added to the food list by some sort of moderator ninja. Note that all of this month's addition are currently bolded, not just this handful of things.

And now, the weather;

• 5/13-14 Lighty and misty summer rain, with occasional sun patches. A rainbow can be seen late in the afternoon of the 14th.
• 5/15-18; Sunny days with cool and somewhat cloudy nights; early summer has indisputably set in.
• 5/19-21; Sunny with somewhat increased temperatures from the 15th-18th; no clouds at night.
• 5/22; Starts sunny as the week previous; goes increasingly cloudy as the day wears on. By nightfall, it's clear that a storm will soon break - best not get caught outside after the expedition.
• 5/23-25; Wind storm, with harsh rains and the occasional burst of thunder. Smaller characters and pets (eg Morgana, Sunshine the chocochick) advised to stay inside or be carried by someone with a bit more weight to them to avoid getting blown away.

TEST DRIVE 004

[phantasmods]

Hello and welcome to the fourth test drive for Phantasmal Rift!

Test drive threads are assumed to be game canon for accepted characters unless otherwise noted, so don't feel like you'll have to introduce yourself a second time to everyone you meet! As an added bonus, participation in the test drive comes with the chance to earn up to two items of loot for your trouble! Characters who are accepted can earn one item for having a top level, and one for tagging out to someone else's top level! Your SWEET LOOT will be included with your acceptance notice.

Additionally, characters currently in game can earn themselves a piece of bonus loot for the dungeon by tagging people's top-levels on the test drive! Existing characters get their bonus loot along with the rest of their loot at the conclusion of the dungeon.

This test drive takes place in Keystone Reef, a water-influenced Fissure to the northeast of the station. It is home to numerous fish and coral species, as well as a very interesting magical effect...

OPTION ONE: FINNY FUN

Under the water is where you woke up, and under the water is where you might be stuck for a while. The magic is lodged in you and has changed your form -- maybe a little, maybe a lot. Perhaps you only have gills, but you may also have a full set of changes, fins and no feet to speak of. Don't panic, you'll surely be fine if you just keep swimming...

Aside from the strange changes, it's a pretty cool place to be. If you've ever dreamed about scuba diving on a coral reef, the place that you've found yourself is perfect for that (minus the needing to scuba part). Curious fish swim up and then dart away into rock crevices, coral growths, and even down to bury themselves in the layer of sand at the bottom. The water is also fairly shallow, allowing you to surface if you so desire.

Even the sharks are friendly and just want to have as much a look at you as you want to look at them. Don't harass the glowing eels tucked into cracks between the rocks, though, they bite and don't particularly let go.

OPTION TWO: WORLD'S SMALLEST JUNGLE

This must certainly be an oceanside jungle - in spite of the humidity, the smell of salt on the air is strong. Brilliant greens and the occasional bright flowers, accompanied by island birdsong... It could be a nice place to spend an afternoon. There's not even that many bugs that want to drink your blood (though bugs in general are, well, quite plentiful).

Eventually, though, however far you go, you'll reach the beach and be met with the expanse of the ocean - blue, uncaring, and real big. While one side of the little island thankfully has land visible in the distance, the outer side just overlooks a near-endless expanse of blue. If you're a very good swimmer, you could probably make your way to land past the rocks of the reef itself... Otherwise, though, you might be just a bit stuck on your jungle island paradise.

At least until someone brings a boat.

OPTION THREE: SHIPWRECK

Both above and below the waterline are the remains of ships crashed upon the rocks, just waiting to be explored. Even though it has clearly been an incredibly long time, the chunks of wood and metal are still in fairly good condition, and the chance of finding something nice tucked in with them among the rocks is surely tempting to anyone with an adventurous spirit.

The wrecks beneath the waves also grow coral and seaweed, and provide havens for larger fish, dragon eels, and sharks. Those along the rocks above the waterline, on the other hand, provide a home for seabirds of all varieties. Most notable is the hulking shell of a shipping craft in the distance, looking very much modern if ruined by some centuries of exposure...

For right now, though, you'd best contend with the flotsam a bit closer to you, and the wildlife that might not take too kindly to your exploring. Below the waterline, the dragon eels found in a few places don't take kindly to being disturbed; above, you might run afoul of some overprotective seabirds protecting their nests. Maybe even an invisible seagull (normal sized) - how ridiculous would that be?