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

[topgun_textiles]

Only at first! Soon you'll work at such a blistering pace you'll wonder if it was ever slow at all, kupopo! Knock their blocks off!

[Naoto bolstered her accuracy and both sahagins decided they wanted a piece of the guy that charged at them. One fired a shot of water while the other thrust their spear. Kanji felt something familiar, an odd stinging pain from the water gun, while the spear scraped against chainmail, warning of a welt that'd be angry and pink later. Yet he felt slightly numb to it all... he watched as both creatures shrieked and recoiled in... fear? No, wait, his aura was turning it back on them!

He charged forward and swung, clocking the left sahagin and sending it reeling.]

Huh... okay. These guys're pretty squishy!

[pishirogane]

We can do that.

[Still standing back, she frowned when the Sahagins attacked. Water made for a good distance attack, but the direct attack didn't do so much damage to Kanji. Interesting... and he responded back with an attack.]

They're low ranking monsters then... [Well, shifting her sights to the Sahagin that had shot water, she shot it back.]

[topgun_textiles]

[The sahagin hissed, head thrown back as the gunshot knocked it silly. Kanji continued the assault with another wide swing and a roar, the weight of the hammer head slamming into the belly of the beast.

It flew, landed in a heap against the lake behind it, and vanished.

The second turned its gaze to Naoto after getting its block nearly knocked off, and rewarded her with a spray of water.]

[pishirogane]

[Naoto winced. She did not appreciate getting doused by water; it was night time and already cold enough.]

[So, she again aimed at the sahagin and fired another shot. With one down and this one left, Kanji might be able to get the last blow.]

[topgun_textiles]

[The sahagin got another gunshot for its troubles, and Kanji pounced on it, bringing the hammer down with the grit of his teeth. It wasn't a chair, but there was something satisfying about treating enemies like cutlets before breading and frying.

With the sensation of the earth shuddering, the fishman went down and disappeared. But there was the sound of jingling nearby, and Suzette descended. When she rose, she held two little sacks, one in each paw.]

KupoPO! It's done! One little bag of gil for you, Naoto and Cristo lovelies, and one for my brute!

Augh, can ya stop callin' me that already?

[Huzzah! Upon obtaining the bag, the iMogs pinged an update, each adding 700 gil to their finances at the bottom right corner.]

[pishirogane]

[Just as she expected. With a nod, lowered her gun and... blinked when Suzette descended. Gil... but... she didn't understand, but she accepted it.]

Thank you, Suzette-san.

[One day she would figure this mystery out.]

[topgun_textiles]

Huh. That's pretty efficient. So I could go knock monsters around if I need some extra money?

Yes, but no, kupo! Monsters can be almost anything depending on the region, and unless you always travel in groups, you can be overwhelmed. I think you two will be safe so long as you don't find any adamantoise, kupo! Those are massive turtles who can knock you off your feet and can bite clean through armor if they try! I'll watch out for adamantoise nests, kupopo.

Thanks. ...So, back to it, yeah?

[pishirogane]

Adamantoise... alright, we'll keep that in mind.

[And it made sense. It was too dangerous to hunt monsters alone here just for cash. They would work on that together to avoid being overrun.]

Yes... now, there were marks over here...

[topgun_textiles]

Oh, yeah... looks like somebody got dragged.

[He looked out over the water and felt a chill.]

How, uh... how long can you guys fly? Could the killer be hangin' out out there, dumping bodies in?

[pishirogane]

Yes...

[That too seems odd especially when considering Suzette and Cristo...]

Considering we Moogles regularly fly, we can go for hours. However, every Moogle is different...

... I take it some Moogles are able to take up Asterisks as well?

[topgun_textiles]

In some stories of times long ago we did, kupo! There are some of us that have the ability to absorb Asterisks, especially those that came in from the Width.

I didn't peg you guys for killers, though...

This shocked me, kupopo! We would never do such a thing! However... hmmm...

Cristo, darling, wasn't there a story about a ghost mog who would come and get us if we didn't go to bed on time like our mothers insisted, kupo?

[pishirogane]

... A ghost mog?

[Oh, she doesn't like what this might even begin to insinuate.]

Hmm, oooh yes, there was that one...

What story?

[topgun_textiles]

"The Chopper"... he lost his pom, snatched off by a bunch of human bullies who thought he was so strange, kupo! They poked and they picked until his wings gave out, and he sank forever to the bottom of a lake.

They say that he rises and hates all people, so he likes to Chop Chop Chop them up, kupopo! Then, if he finds a little moogle with a very fluffy pom, he'll Chop and get one that's better than the one he lost, kupo. You know you've stayed up too late if you hear a peculiar sound...

[What sound? You mean, this one, that sounded off in the distance? Suzette's entire body fluffed and she fluttered quickly behind Kanji's head.]

[pishirogane]

[Naoto's eye bulged at the sound and she looked around. However, Cristo nodded.]

Yes! That sound precisely!

[But then, he froze.]

Oh... that sound...

[topgun_textiles]

[He set his jaw and held the hammer at the ready. But Suzette was covering her eyes and shaking at her perch.]

I wanna see the bastard try!

[pishirogane]

Kanji-kun, while I admire your determination, it might be better for us to retreat for now. We only received our asterisks...

[topgun_textiles]

Y-yeah, but... we can't just let him get away if that sound means he's near!

[pishirogane]

...

[True, she doesn't want to pass up the opportunity, but the chances of them surviving versus their chance of escaping should it be necessary...]

... We'll try to approach him without being spotted. If it doesn't work, we're gone.

[topgun_textiles]

[Danger was danger. He said it once himself. He wasn't about to die to some murderer to prove a point, but he wasn't about to get everyone killed either. If things were too much, run like hell. There was no shame in it.]

...Okay. I think the sound came from this way. Just- just don't stray too far, okay?

[pishirogane]

I'm not going anywhere.

[Because she really doesn't want to be here right now, but leaving Kanji alone was just a bad idea.]

[topgun_textiles]

[He nodded and proceeded on. He tried to ignore how every hair at his neck stood on end, prickling away, and thought of simply catching this creep in the act. Nobody else would die tonight.

Meanwhile, on the shoreline, a dark shape began to pull its way out of the water. It moved along sluggishly at first, coiling tentacles and clacking a beak, but once it felt the tendrils of its comrade coming up from behind, it knew the hunt was on. Two targets, two hunters. Plenty of meat for all.

The eerie sound echoed through the trees again, but it was now joined with the wet slap of multiple soaked limbs seeking purchase with the gore-soaked grass.]

[pishirogane]

[She knew her heart was hammering as they drew closer and she kept low, within arm's length of Kanji at least. There, rising from the water, came a form... but peering, even from this distance, something was wrong.]

[Like... the fact it wasn't the monster they were looking for wrong.]

... They're mimicking that sound?

[topgun_textiles]

Mimics? What?!

[He looked back to see glistening tentacles emerge in the pomlight, two pairs of eight lashing out at the two with hooked suckers. There was something wrong with them, something unlike what was normal for the species of monstrous octopus that lurked in the waters: Typically orange and more like the creatures of the depths, these ones were far from it and looked more like they were made of overstretched red flesh and glassy eyes.

But the sound wasn't coming from them... an eerie hissing was as they continued their assault.]

[pishirogane]

Hm...

[This was curious. Moving to put some distance between herself and the octopi, she had her gun drawn and loaded quick. Why did everything want to interrupt them right now? Their investigation was still underway.]

Seems like we'll have to deal with them as well.

[topgun_textiles]

[She backed off and he pulled forward, getting a harsh knock against the armor by a trio of tentacles among the two octopi. The hits were solid, thumping against chain and driving out a grunt of discomfort from him.]

Shit! These ones hit harder than those fish bastards!

[He retaliated with a solid swing with the hammer. Damn it, if only he could hit more than one at a time...! But he could already feel the Asterisk humming into his mind. If he just let himself get angry, there's be nothing left of these tentacled freaks... just let himself get angry...]