The Starsend Fragment

Discussion in 'Events' started by WillowtheWhisp, Oct 5, 2015.

  1. WillowtheWhisp

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    You step through the portal into the Starsend Fragment, finding yourself surrounded by the darkness of space. Indeed, it seems as if you have ascended to the heavens, as you turn about, seeing the glittering of distant stars in all directions. And yet, though one would imagine that the vacuum of space is inhospitable to life, you have no trouble breathing or moving. You take a moment, and realize why: an almost imperceptible barrier surrounds the area upon which you stand, which could only be described as an asteroid. Or, at least, a portion of one: you approach the edge of the area, which is admittedly only a flat surface of about five hundred meters in diameter. You look down to see that it plummets into the vast void, and realize that anything to fall would be irrevocably lost to oblivion. Prudently, you take a few steps back from the edge, and none too soon, as a small chunk of the platform falls away.

    You take another moment to gather yourself, and look around once again. You squint, and realize that several other “asteroids” surround your own, though they must be at least a kilometer out. Each is surrounded by their own tiny atmospheric bubble, but with no way to traverse the intermittent void, it seems you are bound to your own space. And yet, you recall the training you have received before entering this place: little is known about this fragment, as the entrance portal seems to close after any who enter, and only reopens until after they have perished. Seven expeditions thus far, and none have returned. However, one thing was discovered, prior to your departure: this fragment is irrevocably tied to the powers that govern life and death, and that power over one’s spirit would provide an invaluable asset.

    You sit on the firm ground and cross your legs, and though its not the most comfortable sitting place, it will have to do. You close your eyes and begin to concentrate, slowly feeling your mind expand. Only moments pass before you shrug off your mortal coil, but it feels like an eternity before you feel your final breath escape your lungs, and your body enter into stasis. You look down to see your body sitting there, stiff, as if rigor mortis has set in. With a shake of your head, you float away, trying to think not too hard about your body, and what could happen while you are away. Indeed, something has caught your eye, and you begin to make your way towards the curious apparition.

    You near the center of the platform, and realize that there is a man—no, a ghost—standing there. He is clad in armor, and you realize that he was one of the men from a previous expedition, a Hylian. He looks at you somberly: by now, it’s dawned on him that he must be dead, and that something about this place has tethered him here, among the living, and prevented him from moving onto the afterlife. He says nothing, and merely points in a direction, but that is all the information you need. You zip off in that direction with a solemn wave, which is returned with an unspoken request that you see this place destroyed, so that his soul might move on.

    You reach the end of the platform, but continue on, realizing what the man had been indicating. Below you, a length of something appears to be attached to your asteroid, and upon approaching it, you can see that it is a rather long tree root. You gaze follows it into the distance, and you think you are able to make out some tall branches out in the distance. You aren’t able to tell how far that tree must be, but something tells you that it’s where you must go. Without your body, though, you imagine that there would be little you could do to actually affect this place, so rather than head straight for the tree, you head to the nearest platform, which also seems to be connected by a root.

    Upon arrival, you find it’s much like the previous area, with the exception that this one seems far more populous. In fact, spirits seem to be floating around listlessly, though it’s clear that a few are also Poes, judging by the objects they carry. After speaking with a few of the other wandering spirits, you begin to piece together the situation. It seems that the lines between life and death here are blurred, and that a wandering soul might have greater powers here, than they might otherwise have on Hyrule. In fact, a few bodies from the previous expedition seem to be on this asteroid, and if rumor is to be believed, you might be able to possess them. Once in control, you could make your way to an exposed root on the surface of this particular asteroid, then agitate it in some manner, to hopefully cause this asteroid to be pushed nearby the one where your body remains. The only problem is that other spirits, some Poes and some not, are currently inhabiting those bodies, and you will likely need to force them out by whatever means necessary. You groan, realizing that even if you are successful, returning here with your real body will mean having to fight those off those Poes, unless you destroy them now. Your journey is going to be a long one.

    Askoval, First Mortal

    You approach the colossal tree hesitantly, the sheer dread and terror it exudes putting you on edge. It’s clear from even a distance that this is no natural life, that whatever it is—whatever it once was—it can no longer be considered as among the living. And yet its roots undulate, but even that seems to be an imitation, its jerky movements turning a pit deep within your stomach. You begin to round the bend, to face what you can only presume to be the “face” of the tree, if it can be said to be such a thing. Fear wells up in your belly, fear of what it is to come, what you will behold: you raise your eyes to the center of the tree, and realize that nothing, in all your travels, in all the war that has raged across Hyrule, could have prepared you for this. A man is bound there, to the tree, his arms and legs flowing into the bark like branches. His skin is as white as ash, and is nearly indistinguishable from the white of the tree itself. Open sores mar his body, black puss oozing from them like sap; the stench alone is enough to force you to wretch. Sockets without eyes look down at you angrily, black sap oozing from the holes like unholy tears. He—if such a thing even has a gender—twists its mouth to scream to the heavens, and an ear shattering blast is expelled, knocking you to the ground. You shake your head, rising up from the floor, only to realize that something terrible, something horrible, has gone wrong as you look down at your body. You’ve been forced into your spirit form, and you look up again to see the tree, and man, but its true form is too awful a site for your eyes to comprehend. In fear, you dive back into your body, just in time to avoid a crashing tree limb, meant to crush your body. You hack away at the wooden appendage, but no pain seems to register on the man’s face, and a sinking feeling pulls your heart into the depths of madness, as you realize what you must do. Can you overcome your fear of incomprehensible evil?


    Spirit Form

    Unlike the tools provided to those intended for the other fragments, you have instead been taught a technique by mystics across Hyrule. With intense concentration, you are now able to untether your soul from your body while in trance. Your existence is similar to that of a Poe’s, in that you are intangible and capable of passing through walls. In fact, you seem to have a greater connection to the dead than ever before, while in this form. In Spirit Form, you see any undead as they once existed in life, as they see a depiction of your body’s appearance. You are given no sway over them, one way or the other, but you can interact with them just as easily as you might, were you both made of flesh and bone. Techniques, spells and other non-item treasures may be used in this form, though they may only affect other spirits. You have been warned, though, that should your body perish while in this form, you will wander Hyrule, with no physical body to return to.

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    The presented scenario is only one of many possibilities for this dungeon. Ultimately, its structure is up to you, and how you ultimately face the master of this place rests on your shoulders, and yours alone. Several themes are fitting for this dungeon: space, spirit, and death. Moreover, this fragment is inspired by the world contained within Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time. Enemies that may be present include Stalfos, Poes and other Undead. Other enemies may be present, but this is entirely up to player discretion. There is no unique enemy for Starsend.

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    This Dungeon will be graded similarly to a Quest, though the rewards include both 50 rupees as well as the unique dungeon item that will be obtainable only through this dungeon. However, it should be noted that the dungeon item is awarded to the character at the onset of the dungeon, and should generally be involved in completion of the dungeon. As previous dungeons, those who complete this dungeon are eligible to have their triumph become an official part of Hyrule Castle Lore. However, unlike before, there is no "time limit": the first to complete this dungeon will have their run become an official part of the lore, assuming it meets quality standards. As a side note, completion of this dungeon is in no way connected to what characters are eligible for becoming a Sage: completion of all three fragments serves as a triggering event for the awakening, and nothing more. Also, like previous dungeons, the Sunwell Fragment will become available to be run as a Classic Dungeon, once the first thread is completed, albeit with reduced rewards. All Sunwell threads begun before the end of the first thread will receive rewards as normal.

    When creating a Bureau thread for the Sunwell Fragment, treat it as any normal Quest Bureau thread. When creating your Quest Bureau thread, please include the tag [Sunwell] in its title.


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    Last edited: Oct 5, 2015