A New World, An Immersive Game Experience

"Hey Ceph, been a while." Therdul smiled as Ceph joined their circle. The shapeshifted alicorn was the closest with Therdul among the group, so he placed himself next to the dwarf. Between Therdul and Judith, covering both his sides with familiar people.

"It has. How's the farming going?" Ceph asked, naturally curious whether Therdul ever perfected things. When he had left, things had still been in their early stages. Though everything had looked promising. Of course, not that much time had passed in the interim. Just a few months.

Naturally, the question came completely out of the blue to the other players. They did not even know who had joined their circle and interrupted their previous conversation, and Observe did not tell them anything either. However, knowing Therdul and Judith's positions, and seeing their attitude towards the intruder, the players stayed quiet and listened for now.

"Great!" Therdul replied with a big smile. "We've since finished the basic construction and confirmed an optimal basic design. We are now working on trying to lower the mana requirements, along with Erik. You know, efficiency grind."

Therdul grinned and continued. "We are already at a point where we can assure that the city will be self-reliant, even during a siege. Though meat will become a problem if the outer walls are lost once again."

"But that is why they have the cannons, isn't that right?" Judith chirped in, "I mean, by now the walls are fully covered. I heard that some of the excess cannons are even being moved to the border wall."

"Border wall?" Ceph asked, while Eldrian had filled him in on what had happened. Like always, Eldrian had skipped the details. Though, this time, Ceph couldn't blame him. When not hunting, Eldrian had been training like crazy.

"Didn't Eldrian tell you about the wall? We -well, he and a few other high-ranking people- erected it to stop the undead flood?" Therdul asked.

"Oh, that. He mentioned it, but only briefly. Didn't mention any type of name or anything."

"Understandable." Knowing Eldrian, Therdul understood that he wasn't someone to be up to date on such things. "It doesn't really have an official name. Everyone just calls it the border wall, since it has become the new border for the Kynigo region."

"How bad is the flood of undead?" Ceph asked, worried. In his time in Kynigo, he had made a few friends, outside of players. He hoped everyone was alright, considering that most of the high-ranking members of Phoenix were here, it was safe to assume. But Ceph still wanted to confirm.

"Thanks to the wall, it's really easy to defend and maintain the situation. Evale goes out from time to time to thin the hordes when we notice they are increasing in number. But soon that won't be needed either." Therdul explained.

"I know it's great and all, but... the cannons are stealing all the fighting." Judith sighed, "Which is why we are here. Right, we should probably introduce you to everyone."

Finally, being brought into the conversation, the other players awkwardly introduced themselves. Reeling from the shock of learning that Ceph was not a player, nor was he an elf.

It didn't take long for everyone to connect that he was Eldrian's tamed beast, especially when Ceph himself clarified he was an alicorn. Sadly for them, the image in their minds was so vastly different from the sight before them that many failed to accept it.

It was as they struggled to fix their mental image of a mythical creature, and trying to accept that they were intelligent and can communicate and pass off for being human--that Ilmadia's song filled the hall. It stole everyone's attention and helped these players forget their initial bias.

Ceph himself was shocked as he listened and felt the surrounding mana stir to the melody. He turned to watch the origin of the sound and observed the beauty of it all with a smile. At the moment, Ilmadia truly looked like a moon elf.

'Did she discover their secret technique on her own?' Ceph pondered.

Each race had their own speciality in the world. Things might not be equal, but there was a sort of balance in this. And of course some races had similar specialities.

The alicorns, for example, were highly in tuned with nature and all natural elements. As a mythical race, their disadvantages were few and their powers were great. It was why, or so Ceph was always told, they had to serve a higher purpose. It was part of the reason his parents would not abandon Avgi.

Of course, the riches of the forest were something highly coveted. Even with only a slight amount of it known to exist. It had to be kept from the wrong hands, but Ceph felt there were other ways. But those ways... his parents would never accept them.

'That isn't important now. What is, is that she appears just like Mother when she plays...' The sight truly brought the image back to Ceph. It wasn't honestly that long ago, but it felt like a different time.

All alicorns were capable of shapeshifting, and they did from time to time. However, before you could do so, you had to learn of the race you wished to become. Shapeshifting wasn't something easily changed, not for the alicorns. Unlike for the devils.

As such, they had to take great care when choosing the race they would shapeshift into. Most chose the race of the moon elves. At least, this was the case in Avgi. After all, it was a race that excelled in communicating with the divine.

Ceph's family protected Avgi, and specifically the sacred fountain of Asteria in the glade. It was why his parents wouldn't abandon it. And why his idea to simply take everything and turn to ash what they cannot take, would never be accepted by his parents.

A part of Ceph wondered if the truth might change this, but he did not want to shatter his parents' world. Not unless it was the only way left. For he did not know if they could survive the truth. Not after living thousands of years believing and upholding their beliefs.

It was easier to accept that the gods played with mortals, than to accept that these so-called gods were just creations of other mortals. At least some gods were on their side in the former situation. But with the truth, who knew what was true anymore? Could they even count on Asteria? Was GAIA even truly neutral?

Ultimately, unlike his family, Ceph had felt that the moon elven race would not be the correct one for him. After all, his entire life he had been shunned and made an outcast despite his parents' best efforts. Instead, Ceph had chosen the High Elves to base his form on.

'That was a long time ago... the power of music certainly is something.' Ceph smiled, wondering if this was what had brought Ilmadia to this idea. 'I think it might be. The power to evoke, after all, is the essence of magic. However, to actually accomplish this isn't as simple as it sounds.'

It wasn't just a case of willing the magic to happen. You had to be in tuned with the melody and let it flow through you. Let the song mix with your mana and lifeforce, and then let that mixed energy into the air.

'I guess she does not know the dangers of doing so.' Ceph smiled, thinking that she was perhaps a bit too similar to Eldrian in that regard. Then again, who would think that playing a song could invite danger?