The Tattered Journal
The following are excerpts from a journal found on the outskirts of Arlong Park Forums.
Entry #1
Spoiler:Date: XX/XX/XX
Time: High Noon
Mood: Cautious
I have been thinking long and hard about this expedition. Many have warned me about the dangers of this mission, but I had to see this through. Although the dangers of my destination have been spoken of a thousand times in time memorial, I want to see this for myself. I am currently in position in front of the entrance of the notorious cavern. The stench coming from the opening is enough to induce my gag reflex, but I force myself to quiet such bodily functions. As I ponder about what I am about to undertake, I begin to falter...What if I really don't survive? What if the cohabitants of this place are truly as feral as legend says they are? There is only one way to find out...
I am keeping this journal so that I can describe what no one has dared to view. Perhaps if I don't make it and this journal is found, the readers will take it as a cautionary warning. Whatever happens, know that I have regretted no
the text onwards has been smudged and is illegible...
Entry #2
Spoiler:Date: XX/XX/XX
Time: Twilight
Mood: Frazzled
I entered the cave after that man walked away from me back the way I had came. I'm not sure what he meant by "beware the Wolf", but I shook off the warning and pressed on.
The cave's entrance is what you would expect from any run of the mill cave. The uneven ground constantly tried to trip me up as I plunged deeper into the darkness with nothing but my flashlight to combat it. The walls were all craggy and as uneven as the ground. Large spike-like protrusions of rock jutted out in some places. The stench was still very present, but I had since tied the handkerchief around my face to shield me from it. The temperature in the cave was much hotter than the cool breeze that was fighting a losing battle the further I went in.
As I went deeper, the light from the mouth of the cave began to grow fainter to the point where I could only see as far as my portable light could muster. nothing but silence, save for the intermittent drops of water that dropped from the ceiling.
Suddenly, a faint buzzing reached my ears. I strained my eyes to try and make anything out in the darkness, trying to find the source of the noise. It was faint and sounded like it was coming from deeper inside.
A little worried, but still determined, I pressed on, following the sound. It grew louder and louder as I continued on. Soon, it was loud enough where I could almost hear the buzzing in my skull. I frantically swung my flashlight around, aiming the light all around me, trying to find the source. Finally, I caught sight of something that doesn't usually belong in caves...a door handle. I backed up and saw that I had come to the end of the cave and was greeted by a large steel door. I traced the outline of the obstruction and saw that it completely blocked my path onwards. I then trained the light on the center of the door. There was a large "AP" emblazoned on the door that was superimposed on what looked like an ornate saw-nosed shark drawing.
I finally caught a hold of my breath and began to think...I had found it...Standing right before me was the entrance to the infamous city...
I mustered my courage and put my hand on the handle and tried to open the door. The handle refused to budge, signifying that it was locked tight.
A little discouraged, I remembered what that man had given me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the box that had the handkerchief wrapped around it. I opened it and took out the strange looking coin...
Hidden:
Looking above the handle, I saw a circular indentation. I took the coin and placed it in the hole. The door suddenly groaned, the locking mechanism no doubt. I grabbed the handle again and tried it. To my pleasure, it was obedient and shifted downwards. With surprisingly little effort, I pulled the door open.
The sight I saw...
Entry #3
Spoiler:Date: XX/XX/XX
Time: Unknown
Mood: Calm
I have settled into my place here in the outer-rim of the city, still bandaging my wounds from earlier.
It seems when I first entered this place I was immediately set upon by the "guards" of the gate. The three of them were all dressed in tattered outfits, which was the reason I had my doubts that they were guarding anything of importance. They jeered that they had found a "new plaything" and drew in closer, cracking their knuckles and snickering. Before I could move to defend, a sharp blow to the back of my head caused me to fall to the ground. Apparently they had had another in their group that had somehow snuck up behind me. Wincing in pain, I looked up and saw a hulking figure bending over and staring at me, a look of utter disgust plastered on his piggish face. A messy mop of orange hair fell to his shoulders, glittering in the unnatural light from the caverns ceiling far above them.
"This gate is under my control. You wanna pass through? You gotta pay the toll," The talking mountain barked gruffly.
"Wh..wha?"
The brute grabbed me by my hair and yanked me up, searing pain from my scalp causing me to choke a gasp and grunt. He pulled me close, his sulfuric breath hitting my face.
"The toll, is a little bit of blood...and a lot of whiny tears" The man said with audible glee.
With that, he reared back his free fist. The next thing I remember was darkness...
When I woke up, I found that I was laying on a cot. I tried to get up, but a jolt of discomfort in my chest caused me to fall back on the thin pillow my head was resting on. This time, expecting the pain, I steadied myself up into a sitting position and looked around. The room I was in was on the small side, but it looked well maintained. There was a door located on the wall across from the cot. Next to the door resting against the wall was what was left of my pack, a tattered mess but otherwise looked salvageable. A table next to the cot had a glass of clear liquid placed close to me. I picked the glass up and examined it, sniffing the contents.
"It's not poisoned, don't worry,"
The voice startled me, almost causing me to take a bath in the liquid as I steadied my grip on the glass. The door had opened and another man entered. This one was actually better dressed than the "welcoming party" I had met. He was a stocky man with a full face that had a soft smirk.He had short brownish hair that was a little messy, but at least didn't look greasy. He folded his arms and leaned against the open door.
"Drink it, it will ease the pain,"
I looked back at the glass and suddenly felt extremely thirsty. I guzzled down the liquid like a man who had been in the desert for day without any nourishment. As I finished, I coughed a little and wiped my mouth. Suddenly, I felt a warming sensation come from my belly and felt most of my pain dissolve away.
"There we go. That stuff helps heal pain up right quick, but maddeningly addictive, so careful."
The man approached my cot and looked at me, carefully examining me.
"You seem to have healed nicely, not too worse for wear. Those trolls sure did rough you up though."
He took my arm in his hands and tested my blood pressure.
"Vitals seem good too."
I looked at him with mild curiosity. Who was this man, and why was he helping a complete stranger? As if he noticed my glance he looked over and smiled broadly.
"You're probably wondering who I am. Sorry I didn't introduce myself when we first met, but you really weren't in a position for light banter."
He straightened up and bowed slightly.
"you may call me Kitsune Inferno, but you can call me Kitsune."
Entry #3.5
Spoiler:
This entry will explain the strange system that I was introduced to by Kitsune...the Avatar Symbiosis...
Everyone residing in Arlong Park are free to create their own personal Avatar that acts as means of communication with others across the complex. When first issued, they resemble little dolls in the shape of a sack puppet, except they are metallic in nature. When activated, they are able to move freely of their own accord and even have the ability to hover close to their masters. These sentient little helpers manage your bookmarks for places you have been so that you can find your way back to certain structures. They also keep an up to date registry on who has been or is in the buildings. They also manage a form of e-mail between two users that only the two parties are able to read called Private Messaging, or PM for short.
Residents of Arlong Park are able to customize their unique Avatars to look like almost anything they could dream of, provided they do not violate the restrictions placed on them by the rulers of the community. Each Avatar has a customization port that allows the users to remotely access a vast selection of 'skins'. Once customized, the Avatars will gain a type of consciousness that will appear to mimic the actions of their inspired customs. This then leads into the Avatar Symbiosis, or AS for short.
Once an Avatar is customized, They also acquire the function to physically bond with their users. The Avatars merge with their users by transforming into small crests that attach themselves to their users body, usually their chests, but is not limited to that area. The avatar then covers the user with a transparent shield-like field that drastically changes their appearance to whatever the Avatar has been customized to. The users are granted with higher functionality in their movements, muscle toning and speed augmentation are a couple of examples of changes.
Once bonded, Users and Avatars gain special abilities that correspond with the appearance of the custom. So if the Avatar has taken form of a bird, the user also receives wings and can fly freely, or if the avatar is mole-like in nature, the user will be able to burrow like a mole.
With these new abilities, residents of Arlong Park hold annual tournaments to show off their different and eclectic abilities and see who will reign as the King and Queen of the Park.
-------------------------------------------------
Kitsune gave me a map to find the complex that hands out these Avatars and told me to meet him at a predetermined place that he would send to me via the PM system once I receive one. As I get ready to leave, I begin to wonder what my ideal Avatar would look like...
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Originally Posted by Shuhan
