The Tåkete Realm - Njólbark Forest - Opening Thread

This is a thread for all players who wake up in Njólbark Forest. If you don't know how wake-up works, everyone wakes up peppered throughout the Realm. You can choose where you wanna wake up, and coordinate it with your friends or people you want to be friends with. Or play eenie meanie miney mo idk. This thread will go for a little while until they all converge into one new thread.

Remember, your character has amnesia.

>executing E:\Lied\Processes\Wakeup.bat

The sky pulses to life above. All around, people appear in a blink of static blue. Bodies, unconscious, litter the ground, the rocks and caves and hills of the land. All at once, at if coordinated, their eyes open. It seems someone is watching them from above, but there is no evidence save for the dazzling, sparkling sky.

Njólbark Forest is a medium sized woodland where every tree is a mysterious pale, the leaves a vibrant, autumnal orange, like nothing in the real world. The trees are tall and orderly, and the ground is ankle-deep in fallen orange leaves. The Valley of the Old Gods is located to the North of the forest, and the South mysteriously cuts into what appears to be an impenetrable wall of fog, almost an invisible, impassable barrier.

Consciousness returned to him in one, sudden rush. Limbs jerking violently, he sat up in an instant, panting, and felt his chest with a shaking hand, felt his heart pounding inhumanely fast. Memories were a blur, and each time he tried to reach out and grasp one, it flew away, letting him get close enough that he yearned to try again. And again. He struggled in silence to remember something, anything, about himself, and why he was here. It didn’t feel natural, it felt strange but he didn’t know why.

Steadying himself, he got up, his arms and legs sluggish and weak, as if he hadn’t used them before. As soon as he was vertical, a strong headache hit him, and he fell to the ground on his side, releasing one, long moan, loud enough that a bird fluttered out of the trees above him, spooked. After a pause in which he didn’t dare move, lest the painful headache struck him at full force again, he rolled over, and propped himself up one more time. But this time, he took things slower. Dragging himself across the small space between him and a young oak, he grabbed at the trunk for support and got to his feet. He looked around.

The edge of a forest. To one side, the trees began, seemingly going on forever for all he could tell, until they were one single shade of gray he couldn’t make anything out of. To the other side, moorland, the ground sloping up into a hill that blocked the view beyond. Cold wind blew from the direction, and for the first time he took notice of the warm, white shirt, stained with the pale green of the grass. Nothing was impressive about the rest of his clothes, and they followed suit with the shirt, keeping him warm without being bulky.

He stopped. He was being stupid. Clothes didn’t matter right now. Through a haze of confusion that swarmed his head, he took a few steps forward and tested his steadily improving balance. Then he flexed his arm, cracked his knuckles, kicked his feet, rolled his head, until he had gotten every single last chill out of his body. And then he went for a walk, leaving the forest behind.

She was jolted back into awareness by an abrupt chill coursing its way through her body without caution. Her eyes snapped open, yet she promptly shut them tightly after she looked painfully into the dazzling, bustling sky. Her arms instantly and almost subconsciously found their way around her torso, her way of trying, albeit in vain, to keep herself warm. Slowly, she reopened her eyes, seeing only through a squint that she couldn't seem to break. Her head ached with a powerful throbbing that, despite her best efforts, she was unable to shake.

Steadily, she lifted her body from the hard ground below her. A plethora of thoughts made their way into her head, but only one remained prominent, constantly pestering her, disturbing her attempts at thinking. Where the hell am I? Her eyes flickered from tree to tree, lips parted slightly as she gazed at their pale trunks and vivid orange leaves. After a few silent moments spent assuring herself that she was still alive, she made her way over to touch the pale bark of the nearest trunk in sight. As she sunk down against the pallid trunk of one of the unquestionably abundant trees, she shut her eyes tight with the intention of remembering. She found herself shivering as the crisp air touched her skin, but it didn't distract her from her thoughts.

Her expression was devoid of any emotion as the fought to recall something, anything that might help her find a way out of her current plight. She observed the world around her, looking into the thick fog to one side and the dense forest surrounding her. All she knew was that she was in a strange place, but she found herself unable to figure out why, any attempts at determining why proving completely futile. Looking up into the swirling sky overhead, she contemplated what to do. The only emotion she felt, barring confusion, was something akin to absence. She was missing something, but she couldn't quite place what it was. Should she act on it? In the corner of her eye, movement caught her attention. When her gaze shifted from the sky, it landed on a white spot, a good distance away from her.

It was hard to determine what it might be from such a length, and the urge to move towards it ran rampant in her mind. The only thing stopping her was her subconscious, the constant feeling that she was in danger. She was in a new place, without even an inkling of why she was there. She had no memories of what had come before, no way to tell who had brought her there. Her thoughts were not enough to block her curiosity. The thick bed of leaves beneath her feet would make it difficult to get close if she wanted it to not notice she was there, but she wasn't willing to let it pass by without getting a look. Tiptoeing quietly in the same direction, she managed to get a few yards closer. Then, it was clear to her what it was. This was another person.

The young boy groaned, a soft exhale preceding the turn of his head as he slowly, slowly opened his eyes. Thin, sable lashes framed his icy blue irises and pupils, iridescent and flecked with every shade of azure known to the sea. Blinding light crept into his line of sight, leaving him nothing more than merely dazed. He blinked a few more times, sweeping the corpse of a leaf off his face to reveal a shelter of trees towering overhead in their sun-drenched glory. At a speed that seemed more tiring than comfortable, the darkly-clad figure raised up the upper half of his body until he was half-sitting, half-kneeling, leaning back against the ghastly trunk. He was swaying a bit in place, trying to shake off the unbearable pounding against his head. "Where...?" A single word was uttered from his pale thin lips, their quality paper-thin and fragile, melting faster than snow in the palm of one's hands.

Tilting his head left, then right, he tried to get a better sense of his bearings. There were not many sounds in the general vicinity - the rustling of leaves as invisible spirals of wind pirouetted them to the ground, the whispers of the skeletal trees, and the light muffles of his own breath. He bit down on his lips, clenching his eyes shut as he tried to rummage through his own mind. But where he had expected answers came out as nothing more than a blank space, like a soft beige wall bereft of photographs. How... useless.

Swallowing down the queasiness in his throat, the brunette rose up to his feet, keeping his palm on top of the bark for support. Coils of fog stretched endlessly in one direction. Inky black spilled from the top of his head in threads, turning utterly white where the bright rays struck and revealing where his hair became straggled and unkempt. He had half a mind to tie it up in some shape or form without any means of doing so; the search for a hairband led to his discovery of some sort of bracelet on his wrist. Important, most likely, but what its purpose was and why it was important was something he needed an answer to.

With brisk, well-trained movements, not unlike that of a military man, the boy scaled a nearby tree, his long scarf billowing behind him in his silence. His hands continued to tremble, betraying his calm composure in favor of his sense of panic. Once he settled at a high vantage point, he let a waft of air pass through his lips, scanning the area below; his darker clothes stuck out like a sore thumb, like a sentient shadow looming over all others in the mesh of golden amber. Flaxen hair bobbed with the quiet steps of one figure (short and slim, perhaps a woman?), who edged near another with a similar shade.

So he wasn't alone, by himself, in the middle of an unfamiliar and mystical forest.

Sparing no time for resting, he immediately started for the hill, leaving the unearthly forest behind. Out in the misty open, he noticed the sky up above, or, what was obstructing it. And endless expanse of heavy clouds, dozens of shades of grey all stitched together. The sun was well hidden somewhere, still illuminating the field like it did on those...

On those what?

The shook his head, realized he had been dawdling for too long, stuck in the same spot. Advancing felt almost fruitless, maybe because of the feeling of loneliness that was creeping in his heart with every step he took. Maybe it was for the felt he turned back to the forest, and lay there just like he had awoken. Maybe it was all a bad dream. He turned around, stomach churning and head pounding again. And then he spotted... something. No, someone.

It took him by surprise, and he drew back, pressing his arms to his abdomen. The tip his left index finger touched his right wrist, and something burst into existence. A screen, almost transparent. He could see beyond it, somewhat clearly. Another screen was shining near the one he had spotted following him. And he noticed the same, blueish light, up in one of the trees back in the forest. So we're all in the same boat. he thought, his eyes still fixed on the screen.

"Hello, new players. It's so good to finally meet you." her voice sounded so calm and collected, which was nowhere near how the boy felt. He staggered, looking at his screen.

Everything was fuzzy. Everything seemed to hurt. Opening his eyes only brought more pain. Everything was too bright. It was all too bright. He opened one eye very slowly going to a squint and letting it adjust before opening the other. Once he manged to get both open he blinked a good many times before sitting up.

As soon as he stood up everything started to spin. Even placing his hands down on the ground to steady himself didn't work. It took a moment before everything seemed to clear up. Ronin took his time standing up. Where was he? Red eyes looked around at the terrain seeing other figures standing in the distance. So he wasn't alone.. Then what was this place?

Lifting his arms he scanned them for any sign of damage. Moving his other limbs to double check everything nothing in his body felt off, but there was something that felt weird about this. There was something wrong but he couldn't tell what. What exactly was going on? Why couldn't he remember anything? Why was his head so fuzzy? He didn't understand anything..

A blue screen soon popped up in front of him seemingly coming from his wrist but he was sure. It floated in front of him. What was this? A woman was on the screen in front of him. She looked young but he wasn't sure. Above her picture was a number and a name. He didn't understand what his number was about or why it seemed somewhat funny to him, but the name. The name gave him some warmth in this seemingly cold unknown area. There was just something about it that just felt right. Warm. His own.. Ronin.. He assumed that was his name.

Ugh. Holding his head his consciousness flowed back to him. Where am I? Why can't I remember anything? Wait, what's my name? Questions kept coming to his mind. But none of the missing pieces memories came back to his mind. Argh, this is working out. He tried to stand up, but he fell right back down to how he was laying on the ground. He tried once more and was able to get up, but his legs were shaking tremendously. Knowing that he could stand up, he moved to a near tree and slumped down on the trunk of the tree. Thinking to seek help, but too tired to take a trip for who knows who long. Looking up at the green leaves and the rushing wind blowing leaves over the horizon. A leaf coming towards him, he puts his hand out and the leaf delicately lands on the palm of his hand. He looks up at the leaves and relaxes. Closing his eyes and had a vision of a ray of light rushing his vision. Suddenly opening his eyes to what he believes is a reality. Shock overflowing his body and mind. Even more, questions rushing through his mind. What was that? All of a sudden a screen interrupts his vision of the grassy plain. 0968... What does that mean? But what is it about Kaito that clicks to me? Is it my name? I guess I'll roll with it, for now, if this isn't my real name, I will find it eventually. Wait. What's my last name? Questions came to his mind nonstop. Then he decided to focus on one main question. Where am I?

It was all she could do not to let out a slight yelp when a blue screen appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere, in front of her. She reached out slowly, hesitation evident in every movement that she made. Before her fingertips could make contact with the flat screen presented in front of her, a cheerful voice interrupted her. She quickly drew her hand back, gazing quietly and in awe at what had been set up in front of her. For sure, this was not real. Thi had to be some sort of... What's the word... Shaking her head in an obvious attempt to shake the feeling of thick fog surrounding her brain, restricting her memory, she pushed her focus back to the blue light that was emitted, ostensibly from her wrist. From it, she couldn't collect much. There was a name, some numbers, but nothing that gave her any answers. She could only assume that the name, Jordyn, belonged to her.

Reluctantly shifting her gaze back to her surroundings, she didn't fail to notice the same bluish hue coming from several other points in the area encompassing her. There were three others that she could depict, one of which was out in the open, that she could see through her own transparent screen. Another, only a few yards in the distance, that belonged to the boy that she'd been trailing. She wasn't quite close enough to read anything from his screen, something that put her off a bit. The last wasn't one that she found easily, and it required more effort than she felt like giving at the moment. It reflected off of the bark of a nearby tree, which meant that someone had made their way up there, likely avoiding contact with the rest of them.

She was unfocused. Forcing herself to concentrate on the screen before her, the first thing she noticed apart from the name and numbers was a small woman, presumably the one who'd been talking to them just a few moments before. Lifting her hand once again, her fingertips brushed the surface of the screen. She'd hit some sort of button, though she didn't know what it might do, or what it was.

Sweet and smooth silk was the voice that came from seemingly everywhere and nowhere, embedding the air with a gentle cadence as the flashes of iridescent light projected themselves in front of him. The change in his expression was subtle - his eyes scarcely widening and lips parting into a small 'o' before clamping shut once more, his slender body swaying in place. He fell back, tightening his grip around the branch with his legs, a dangling tangle of darkness atop the canopy. A soft, relieved exhale came before his body twisted ever so slightly, enough so he could detect the beacons of screens further away. One, two, three, four headcounts, not including himself.

Grimacing, his sapphire gaze fell onto the near-transparent hollow board shining from his wrist, words flying across in coherent strings of phrases and sentences. The source of the voice seemed to have come from... whatever this had to be, a beautiful woman with a porcelain delicate face, free of blemishes or imperfections - like a doll whose hair was gentler than the wool of lambs and whose eyes were more alive than the most verdant of forests. Some numbers and a name (perhaps his own) flickered in and out of existence above her animated portrait. Zuozhu swung his arms a few times before resting atop the long silvered tendril and biting his lips, his chest tightening, squeezing, suffocating, drowning.

"Welcome to Project Lied," she continued, her rhythmic pace never missing a beat in her dulcet melody, "Like song in German. You're currently in the largest and most advanced digital world ever." His fingers clenched into a fist, unfurled like a blossom coming out of its bud, and back in. It felt real. And yet, it was fake. "You have been chosen for a wondrous experiment, an experience of a lifetime."

Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

The screen inflated like a balloon, bringing attention to a peculiar-looking button, blinking and flicking as though it were a bright neon sign. "Your inventory is located here." Zuozhu's finger hovered over the button warily. There was a chance it could potentially be something dangerous; she may appear sweet and caring, this woman, but he refused to believe that those directions should be listened to blindly.

4219.

Zuozhu bitterly smiled, a terse empty chuckle bubbling up from his throat.

Ronin was looking around at the world around them. What was this place? Soon enough the girl spoke up again bringing his attention back to the screen in front of him. They were apart of an experiement? A digital world? It felt very real.. but that would explain why everything was all fuzzy. Even his own name.. Well as far as it felt it was his name. It could have been fake for all he knew.

The boy let out a small sigh before looking at the girl. What did they need to do in this so called experiment? What would they be forced to do? Could they even escape this world? His mind swirled with so many questions bringing back the complete fuzzy feeling making him having to close his eyes, and recollect himself. He would listen and see what was next. He didn't need to over think right now.