Event || Worldwide Tourists

[eternitymods]

Who: All New Arrivals and Curti Center Staff
When: April 15th-30th
Where: All over Vaikuntha, starting outside of the airship hanger
What: Ganeshan, the resident Job Expert, will be taking the new arrivals around the the various Guilds so they can collect their chosen Job Asterisks as noted in their applications.
Warnings/Notes: Guild prompts can be found here

Enter the Master

[Each new arrival's iMog buzzes with a message instructing them to gather for a worldwide adventure to obtain the power of Vaikuntha. If they follow the invitation's instructions, they will arrive at outside of the airship hanger on the morning of the 15th, with their meager belongings packed.

An Enterprise-Class airship, the Ragnarok, hovers outside of the Curti Center. There is a flash of light on the top of the ship.]

"WELCOME!"

[A figure, minuscule at this distance, launches itself off of the ship and hurtles toward the ground. As he draws closer to the ground, he starts to flip, landing with a flourish. An armored figure, sans helm, turns his toothy Zora grin to the crowd. With a shimmer, his armor transforms into a white mage's robe, and he sends a rush of wind through the crowd for dramatic effect.]

"I AM GANESHAN, THE JOB MASTER! GYA HA HA HA! TODAY, YOUR LIVES WILL CHANGE FOREVER."

[Ganeshan shimmers again, ruthlessly abusing the Chemist's Modifier skill to once again shift Job Classes so he can lower the airship's loading dock with a wave of his hand.]

"I BELIEVE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HAS THE ABILITY TO MASTER THE JOB CLASSES. SOME OF YOU MAY MASTER MANY, OTHERS WILL PURSUE THE PERFECT MASTERY OF JUST ONE. BUT EITHER WAY, YOU'LL BE INCREDIBLE!"

[Ganeshan gives everyone a big thumbs-up. The out-worlders who are not scared off by this booming speech can feel free to enter the airship and prepare for their ride around the world. Hopefully some of the Curti Center's newest hires can serve as non-crazy less exuberant tour guides for the new arrivals.]

Around the World

[The Ragnarok will be stopping at every major city in Vaikuntha, with the exception of those cut off by the Imperial border closing. Characters can create top levels to respond to the Guild prompts and explore the cities themselves as the ship makes its stops. Each Guild provides information sessions, free food and trinkets for potential applicants, and once you're ready to receive your Asterisk, all you have to do is take some introductory lessons and fill out forms. Characters can receive up to two asterisks. Time to get to know your new world!

Questions for Ganeshan can be directed to the Ganeshan top level post.]

Comments

[chefbayardee]

[ Hunk just starts laughing. Vegetables really aren't that bad, but six bowls sounds like a lot for this scrawny dude. It brought him to his next question, of course. ]

So, did you eat all of them? Did you lose the Eternal Greens War? [ And then he scoffs. ] Would have to be pretty embarrassing if a monarch lost to some carrots and stuff.

[warpstriking]

[He winces at the very memory of it. That is, until...]

I did not lose! [Oh. That went from rather calm and amused to snappish irritation rather quickly.] Maybe that battle, but not the war. A deal's a deal.

[But in the end, no one wanted to sleep in the same camper...]

[chefbayardee]

Sounds like someone's a sore loser. [ He's trying so hard to be cool about vegetables and failing so hard. It's like Lance. This is just so wonderful. ] Sure, you ate six bowls of vegetables, but does the war end when you like them? Do you win when that happens?

[warpstriking]

I am not! [No, no he is. Ask literally anyone who's played a game with him. Or raced him. He crosses his arms, scowling.

He does not answer the two questions, knowing better than to feed the troll.]

[chefbayardee]

[ Hunk just bursts out laughing, a deep and loud belly laugh. There are even traces of tears forming in the corners of his eyes! ] Noct, you're pouting.

[ And for a moment he just stares at his new pal, until reaching down to one of the few sandwiches left on the plate. Well, not the sandwich, but the lettuce. Hunk frees it from its deli confines, and holds it daintily in the air, with but two fingers. ]

I dunno, I don't see the big deal. It's just a leaf. [ This, coming from the man who licked a computer made of tree. ]

1/2

[warpstriking]

[Don't feed the troll, don't feed the troll, don't feed the godsdamned troll...!]

2/2

[warpstriking]

[Noctis stares at him, and the lettuce leaf, before the little stuffed doll in his pack pokes its head out.

And the leaf catches fire.

It's nice to not have to throw spells.]

[chefbayardee]

[ See, Hunk's attention was focused on the doll that just poked out of Noct's backpack. What?! And then the lettuce catches fire!

So naturally, Hunk screams. Loudly. ]

WHaaaaaa-!! [ He's even flailing a bit, but the shocked, cartoon-esque positioning made sure to keep that food safe. But not warm, it doesn't need to burn like that lettuce. In his flailing, the fires were quickly extinguished, but a decidedly singed piece of greens still waited in his hand. ]

H-how did you do that, Noct? [ And then he shoves the lettuce into his mouth. You'll be safe here, precious vegetable. ] With the doll, and- and the fire?!

[warpstriking]

[Noctis simply watches him for a moment. Blinks, wondering how the hell Hunk manages not to lose a single piece of food from that plate. Before he just

starts

laughing.

Sweet Six, this is beautiful and he just can't help but grin widely as the laughter dies down. Ow, he has to wipe a tear from his eye.

But then, he smirks.]

Black mage.

[chefbayardee]

But...! [ He gasps for air, eyes wide with alarm and discomfort. ] But it moved on its own, right?!

[ Giving life to a doll sure sounded like black magic. And Vaikuntha has magic. So it could be magic. But... ] Are you sure there aren't little puppet strings? Or a remote control.

[ He's staring at Noct, pleading for an answer other than "nope, magic." But Hunk's pretty sure he knows where this is going. ]

[warpstriking]

It's a magic conduit. [He shrugs.] Andthere aren't. I checked. Also not sure if they're capable of the whole remote control thing.

[chefbayardee]

So you use it for your magic, [ Still gasping, but he's looking at Noct like he's grown a second head. ] but it still moved on its own.

[ And then his eyes grow wide, and he lets out a whimper. ] Unless it's possessed? [ It wouldn't surprise him, honestly... ]

1/3

[warpstriking]

Oh, sweet Six... It's not possessed. I just got it from a guild that looks like it studies the occult and-

[warpstriking]

...

[warpstriking]

... Yeah okay it might be haunted.

[chefbayardee]

[ Hunk just whimpers for a moment before gasping out a "No..." as he stared towards the floor. ] Wh-what if it's possessed by the spirit of an angry adventurer or a monster and it tries to kill you or something?!

[ Tears start to well up in his eyes. He wants to tell Noct to get rid of it, because he's a cool new pal and he doesn't want to hear that he got murdered by a doll like a horror movie. But wouldn't a haunted thing react badly to that? ] Wh-what are you gonna do with it?

[ Don't keep the creepy haunted doll. Please?! ]

[warpstriking]

Astrals, calm down. Unless I focus magic in it, it only does the damage of a wet noodle.

[As if to demonstrate, he takes out the tonberry doll, gently places it down...

—and it wobbles over. Doink. Fabric knife to the shin. It doesn't even take a hit point.]

[chefbayardee]

[ When told to calm down, Hunk tries to restrain his emotions, but he definitely furrows his brow at Noct. How rude, he's only trying to help you!

Then Noct took the doll out, and Hunk's entire body tenses up- this is how he goes, killed by a snuggly lizard with a knife. But as it walks over, the tension fades, and instead he just starts to stare at the Tonberry, rapt even as it doinks his shin. ]

Th-that's really adorable, Noct. [ The tears are still there, but now it looks like Hunk's about to start crying out of cute-inspired awe. ] What, uh... what is that little guy? [ Aside from cute, that is. ]

[warpstriking]

[Okay, good. He is calming down. As the Tonberry wobbles back, he picks the doll up and it immediately goes lifeless again. He stuffs it back into his pack.]

It's called a Tonberry, and trust me when I say you don't want to meet one from my Star. There, it's what's known as a daemon instead of the fiend it is here. A lot of health, tiny, and fast. The hooded ones have moves like they were from some sort of sci-fi movie with laser swords. Which would be kinda cool if not for, you know, the trying to kill you part.

[...Yes. You heard him right, Hunk. Terrifying thing yet, somehow... Neeeerd.]

[chefbayardee]

[ At the decidedly adorable name of "Tonberry," Hunk briefly has a vision of himself with a larger, living one, happily cooking meals. The little lantern means they could see in the dark, too-

But then there's the kicker: they're terrifying. Of course they are! Why did he expect anything else from anything related to Vaikuntha? ] But how do they move so fast with such stubby legs? A-and the laser swords?

[ At this point, they sound like the mean cousins of the Arusians. The idea of Klaizap with a lightsaber made things a lot more palatable, honestly, so Hunk's still got a bit of a smile, even as he tried to gain intel on things that would probably try to kill him. ] And are daemons worse than the fiends here?

[warpstriking]

[He asks this in the gourmand guild. Which both are still completely unaware of the terrors of, but still. There is an irony even if Noct can't put a finger on why.]

...

[He seems to ponder this for a second.] You know, I have no idea. Never really studied daemons other than on the field, in combat, where they were very adamant in trying to kill me and my friends. Normally they take it slow, luring you in before doink. [He makes a stabbing notion with his right hand to punctuate it.] There goes your kidney. As for the laser swords, it's really weird. One minute it's just a knife like any Tonberry has. The next, they're spinning in the air like gravity just don't care and the knife's a laser sword.

And I wouldn't know. Haven't run into one here, yet. [To which Ignis and Prompto were likely very thankful for, he thinks. Considering his penchant for wandering off to the nearest fishing hole...]

[chefbayardee]

[ Hunk stifles a giggle at how Noct explains the creatures. It reminded him kind of how he broke stuff down for people- was it this funny for everyone else? But that yet makes his attention perk up again, and a smile creeps back onto his face. ]

What if they're here, [ And then he gives a thumbs-up. ] but they're friendly? You never know! [ He wasn't going to go into detail about how an alternate universe flipped good and evil on its head a bit, but the idea of a Tonberry fighting evil with a laser sword gave him the cheeriest little giggle. ]

[warpstriking]

[Noctis leans in, face completely serious.] Do you really wanna find out?

[He knows he wouldn't. He got enough kidney stabs he had to heal with potions as it is!! Maybe it's just a once bitten, twice shy kinda deal, but it's still not something he even thinks about being a possibility.]

[chefbayardee]

[ Hunk just shrugs awkwardly at Noct's question. He had a real good point. ] No. No, I do not.

[ But then he sighs, shoulders slumping just a bit. ] I just wanna run into a monster that doesn't want to kill us, y'know? Why is that so much to ask for?

[warpstriking]

[Good plan. But if they actually do meet a nice Tonberry, then his mind might be a bit b l o w n. . .]

You and me both. It'd be a nice change of pace.