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seasonsgreetings2023-06-16 10:01 am
Test Drive Meme #3
Test Drive Meme #3
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION
You arrive in an unknown space, dressed in white clothes (player choice what kind of clothes, as long as they cover everything). Whatever was happening to you before no longer happens. It's like everything was put on a pause and you were transferred away from the situation without you realizing it happened.
The space that you find yourself in is one of these four options:
An empty landscape filled with snow and ice, almost like a blank canvas.
A field with cherry blossom trees and spring flowers.
A sunny beach near an ocean that seems never ending.
A quiet forest with falling autumn leaves.
All of the spaces seem to continue endlessly. No matter where or how far you walk it almost seems like you're not moving at all. There are no animals here - just those who happened to wake up there at the same time, in the same place. Everyone is wearing the same kind of plain, white clothes.
Despite the possible rollercoaster of emotions you might be feeling, the place somehow feels familiar. Like somehow you belong there.
And it looks like you're not alone.
After half an hour has passed the surroundings change as everyone is teleported into a room with all the other new arrivals, no matter what space they woke up in. It's a large place with plenty of seats to sit in and beverages to enjoy. Medical attention is offered to those who need it and the doctors here are very prepared for any challenging situations.
Here, in this room, everyone gets an answer to where they are and why. A hologram of a man appears at the center of the room, waiting to be heard. He brings a message on behalf of the leaders of Ellipsa.
The Message [ Click to Expand ]
Hello, my name is Olwen. I'm one of the leaders of Ellipsa as it currently is. I'm also one of the four who summoned you here.
Our world is in trouble and we need your help. I apologize for tearing you away from your world and forcing you to come here but I hope you understand. The magic we used doesn't let us ask in advance, nor does it let us choose who we bring here.
This world is composed of four Seasonal Segments. All of them represent one of the seasons. They were the places we used to get our resources from, but now they're dangerous places no one should go into unless they have the power to fight back. All of them have their own sets of powerful monsters and natural catastrophes.
We used to have plenty of people here who could control the powers of the four Seasons. We called them Seasonal Power Holders. Unfortunately, due to a tragedy you can read about later, we lost almost all of them. Now only four of us remain and the world is in chaos. We have done our best to protect the world, but we need more power holders to do that.
That's where you come in.
All of you have been assigned to one of the seasons. Whatever space you were in just now is what season you represent. You will learn different skills based on the season and those skills are going to help you save this world.
These powers don't interfere with your own natural powers. They use a new energy that has formed inside of you. It's harmless to your health, but it's vital to your seasonal powers. Your own powers should still work, even if the dark energy outside the city might interfere with them.
Unfortunately bringing you here wasn't as simple as it sounds. We couldn't do anything about how to keep you anchored to this world other than making a simple spell that helps with it. That is, you need to touch someone else who is not from this world ideally at least once a day. It will help you stay in control of your powers and boost your magical energy. If you don't, the consequences aren't very good. But as long as you hold someone's hand or give someone a handshake, you should be fine.
That's all I have to say about the situation. The staff of the Research Center will give you more information about housing and other necessary things. I will, however, promise that you will be sent home once the situation becomes better. That's the least we can do.
In the Arrival's hall there are also several stands with information pamphlets.
First type of stand is for the local Guilds and about the benefits or joining one.
Second type of stands is for the Welcoming Committee that aim to show otherworlders what the world is like and help guide people in the beginning of the journey and helps in getting settled into the new world. They even have people to help if you're unfamiliar with the new phones.
Third type of the stands is for The In Touch Support Group that is led by the Otherwordly Ambassador, Kamisato Ayato. The pamphlets have contact information for businesses looking to help Otherworlders. They also focus more on the lore of the World and what they have discovered so far, as well as a guide on what to think about when preparing to venture out to the Segments.
Once you get your smartphone and necessary information, you're urged to go out and find your apartment. After that whatever you want to do is up to you.
The building next door is where everyone can find their new apartments. As you enter, you're told by a friendly native that for the first two months you can live anywhere rent-free and five meals a day are paid for you. After that they get a monthly payment that helps with some of their living expenses, but otherwise they have to have a job to support themselves.
All of the apartments are comfortable, two bedroom apartments with all necessary utilities. They are also completely soundproof. Sometimes the magic system, however, does glitch and you might find yourself rooming with a stranger. This is not the intention and the staff will immediately prepare you your own room if you ask them. But maybe having a roommate isn't all that bad?
The center of Nightwake never sleeps and there's always something happening, but today there's a lot of excitement in the air all around the center and every district! Locals and those who want to help them (for 100 Moon Coins or a gift card of their choosing), are walking to everyone to offer colorful fliers along with free vending machine tokens. There's also colorful advertisement on billboards and posters everywhere around the city advertising all sorts of things like items, clothes, drinks and more.
Local businesses, stores and restaurants are also going pretty crazy with their celebrations of anyone walking in being their 50th, 100th or whatever customer of the day and the prize among other things are gift cards and more free vending machine tokens but they aren't even for that same shop or restaurant? They also offer people to spin all kinds of different prize wheels, spin roulettes, buying a certain amount of things from them, and taking part in eating and drinking competitions for a surprise prize. Someone even put these surprise prizes into the Gacha Restaurant's randomizer, so for a week, you can choose it as a total surprise there too. (The surprises can be even more vending machine tokens and silly things like cute keychains or a 5-in-1 avocado tool as some examples.)
You can't find any of these shops, restaurants and other places, that they are advertising, in the whole city. The locals, posters and billboards will tell you where you can find them. There's a new entrance in every district, where locals welcome everyone to the grand opening of the Underground Mall!
Some may even drop into a sudden hole in the ground on their way and fall (or slide) somewhere far away. Don't worry, there will be very soft and huge pillows for landing in your destination.
The Underground Mall's upper floors give the vibe of a joyous mall with several restaurants and shops you won't see on the surface. The mall is definitely a must visit place for those who appreciate different fashion and exciting food choices. The party from the surface continues down here with various sales around the area. A good day for shopping!
For those who like games, there's a futuristic VR Arcade for you! This Arcade focuses on games that are played with VR goggles on. Even your regular DDR machine will now take you to dance in different environments and feel like you're dancing for your life or for an actual audience.
There are all sorts of vending machines lined up in their own, huge corner. You can find the usual ones with all sorts of different snacks, food and drinks, but there are also some with cake, cookies, mayonnaise, cream, flowers, engagement rings and other less usual but normal things. Nothing here is randomized, unless you choose the random option from the machine, otherwise you get exactly what you want. So pick your favorites or try something new, that sounds more or less good! You can find a machine that turns moon coins on your phone into vending machine tokens (or you can pay straight with your phone).
And, yes, you can find vending machines full of snacks and drinks all around the area too.
Then there's also an area for ufo catchers with all kinds of prizes like pokemon plushies and lots of other plushies, items themed to different season, plushies and other items themed to any fauna and flora from all around Ellipsa, puzzles, food themed items etc etc.
Moving inside the mall is done by escalators and elevators, but there are also regular stairs for those who prefer them.
The fastest way of traveling from floor to floor in the mall is by quick teleport nodes. You choose a floor you want to go to from the list of choices, much like an elevator and then you're transported into that floor's node within seconds. Unfortunately, they're still working out on the bugs in the system, so you may end up in the wrong place - including places that aren't on the list of choices.
There's also a Poké Ball Vending Machine, so anyone who recognizes poké balls may have some idea what they could get here. The vending machine somehow has enough balls for everyone in Ellipsa but everyone can only buy one ball! The balls don't have names in them and no one can see through them, so even those, who know Pokémon will NOT know what they'll be getting from this vending machine as it is entirely randomized!
Are you ready to get your first Pokémon? What about being ready to see how you two get along? Everyone, who plays this vending machine, gets either a Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu, Eevee, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Rowlet, Litten, Poplio, Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble, Spirigatito, Fuecoco or Quaxly.
(And yes, ICly it is entirely randomized but OOCly you can decide which one you want your character to get... Of course you can rng the result too. More about Pokémon guidelines in the OOC Tips of this TDM.)
The third part of the TDM is under this details cut as it has Content Warnings, including Cursed things, Organized Crime, Illegal Activities, Monster Forms/Body Horror, Attempted Murder, Experimenting on People
The Third Part of the TDM [ Click to Expand ]
The lowest levels of the mall are only accessible by random quick teleport nodes around the mall (if you know you know is the motto with these). You can run into them on accident (they're usually hidden, but with so much traffic, the hiding place becomes visible) and they sometimes immediately just teleport people without any warning. The arrival can be in various places. A random shady hallway, in the middle of the floor, in a shady establishment and so on.
Anything that seems shady can be found from these floors. Even the local diners here are very weird and likely have illegal things on the menu. Clothing stores sell all kinds of clothes fit for thieves and assassins and the amount of weapons shops here is twice the amount than on the surface. Rumor has it there are also people trying to summon the devil somewhere around here, but that's still just a rumor.
One of the teleport node locations can take you to the front of a cursed vending machine corner. At first they look like ordinary vending machines, but upon closer inspection one may notice they are anything but ordinary.
The food vending machines are full of different "eatable" bugs with half-hearted warnings that they may or may not be poisonous (they didn't really check before putting them in the packaging), Mystery Food boxes (includes some very suspicious foods that don't look edible, but are actually alright in taste? But may contain some side effects like growing mushrooms out of your hair if you eat the mushroom ones), ones that is labeled Energy Drinks but all of them look more like creepy potions (they provide energy but at the cost of poisoning someone for 24 hours) and hyper realistic cakes that look like various body parts (the cake part is intentionally written in small print).
Other vending machines have various shark eggs (hatching them will provide a magical shark with little hands and legs that invades the first watery surface it finds and bites whoever comes too close - it does not belong as a pet, but one may try to tame one), Mystery Boxes (with anything from highly cursed jewelry to books that suck your soul if written into) and Cheat Slips (it's said these slips will let you master a skill immediately, but all it does is cause one's powers to go berserk for 2 hours).
The lowest levels are also a place for a large Casino. While they do exist on the surface, this one is a little different.
The Casino (named just that, "The Casino") is divided into four different sections; All of them are dominated by an organized crime group. This is the only area of the underground they work together in peace and sometimes come to relax. They don't cause trouble for each other here, but they definitely can try to cause trouble for everyone who is visiting the place.
Losing in this Casino can mean being taken to the back rooms by whichever group's area you ended up losing in. They will offer to let you go if you can pay off your debt you made in the Casino, but they have other options of compensation.
Name: Diamonds
Game Area: Card Games (Poker, Black Jack, Craps)
Compensation: They will send characters on a criminal quest to either steal or sabotage something or even smuggle a (cursed) item into important places.
Name: Spades
Game Area: Roulette
Compensation: They will attempt to kill the character that lost in the quietness of the backrooms.
Name: Clubs
Game Area: Pool, Darts
Compensation: They will just make characters clean their casino area.
Name: Hearts
Game Area: Slot Games
Compensation: They will drag characters into experiments in a different facility.
You may also end up taken to the back rooms for getting caught cheating, although it may also end up in a congratulatory meeting for an impressive sleight of hand instead or an invitation to join one of the groups. How would you feel about a life of crime?
Those caught in Hearts Group's Experiments will be subjected to series of tests. Mostly they're to check the characters' physical condition before proceeding. Once the tests are concluded, the character will be given a medicine (either via shot or a pill). This medicine will not show any signs of working for a while and characters are let go afterwards.
The same medicine can, however, later be consumed by anyone else in various foods and drinks (free samples, some restaurants, even some grocery store items), even in the higher levels of the Mall. The experiments were the final test before distributing the medicine secretly to the public. So your character may accidentally end up getting the medicine in other ways.
What are the medicine? Monster Form activators. They will awaken a monster form inside a character that will trigger under one of the (player) selected conditions: strong emotional reaction, full moon, near death situation or bleeding.
The form can be returned from by calming down and focusing on their sense of self, but there's a chance to go berserk, making this difficult. If characters go berserk, their powers will be a lot stronger, but they won't know who's a friend and who's a foe. Their form may also be a lot scarier than it normally is. They will likely only want to cause destruction around them or want to feed on humans.
| Monster | Description | Powers |
|---|---|---|
| Alraune | Plant monsters with a humanoid shape. They may have changes as simple as flowers growing in their hair or have complex body modifications such as roots for legs and long vines as hands. | Pollen with status effects like sleep/poison/paralysis, control over plants, poisonous kisses, etc |
| Gargoyle | Monstrous humanoid winged creatures with horns on their head and stony hides. | Super strength, tough skin, flight |
| Harpy | Human-bird hybrids. Anything part can be replaced with bird bodyparts, although the most common configuration is arms turned to wings and legs into talons. | Flight, sonic scream, hypnotizing voice, ability to whip up whirlwinds |
| Kelpie | Aquatic horses with a man made of seaweed and algae, covered in a sticky fur that makes it nearly impossible to get off if one is to ride them. Some may get a fish tail when underwater, although when out of water they have legs like any horse. | Water breathing, illusions |
| Lich | Undead humanoids, they may look skeletal or simply corpselike. | Raising the dead (into zombies/skeletons), necrotic touch |
| Manticore | Beastlike creatures with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion or dragon. They vary greatly, some sporting horns on their heads, or resembling a Chimera or Sphinx. | Super strength, flight if wings. |
| Minotaur | Animalistic monsters with the head of a bull and the body of a human, although some variations exist in which there are different animal heads. Some sport hooves and a tail in place of legs. | Super strength, overall size, super defense. |
| Taur | This refers to any number of creatures with a humanoid upper body and a lower body that resembles a non-anthropomorphic animal in the same sort of style as a centaur. This category includes things like Arachne and Naga, and other variations of such monsters. | Varies depending on animal the taur is based on |
| Werecreatures | Monstrous, bipedal animals, the transformation of which is often (but not always) triggered by the full moon. Common variants are wolves and bears, although they can be about any animal. The Pooka would be one of the variations in the werecreature category. | Depends on the animal the form is based on, but usually super strong/fast etc |
This effect can either be permanent or temporary, depending on how the players want it. Temporary can be up to just one transformation under the conditions or several.
- Ask your questions related to the TDM here.
- The TDM is available only to friends of the mods and their friends. If you want to play in the TDM, please leave a note here to inform us who invited you over. We will get to you as soon as possible.
- Test Drive is open for current characters to make a top level as well. New characters can add TDM (or "New" or anything else) on their subject line to indicate they're new!
- Current characters cannot access the starting area again to meet new arrivals. They can, however, be at the Research Center when the newbies are teleported in.
- The TDM is game canon so anything in the TDM can happen for your character(s) in the game as well.
- Remember to add Content Warnings wherever needed!
- Smut is not allowed on the TDM. You can play situations leading to it, but if the thread is turning into smut, please move it to a private space such a post in your character's journal, or a locked post in the game's log community if you decide to app!
- Pokémon Guidelines:
• Anything mindblowing crazy that the pokedex has to offer for any of the evolutions doesn't carry over to Seasons. They're closer to anime variants where people can get flamethrower at their face and live (we still do not recommend getting a flamethrower at face)
• Pokémon gain experience points much slower, even if they battle one another.
• You may be able to find a vending machine with weird stones mixed in for stone evolutions. Strange.
• All start at level 5.
• More Pokémon may appear later in the game but for now it's just the ones mentioned.
• More on all the available Pokémon here!
- Check Locations: City to find more areas to explore inside the city. Every place in the districts are open. The Underground Mall has been added to the locations page at the very end of it.
- Similarly, Locations: Segments is useful for outdoors adventures. You can find monsters to encounter on Beastiary.
- Minor NPCs page has been updated with the criminal organizations.
- FAQ has information on characters' smartphones as well as general things about the world that might be handy.
- Feel free to check and use out Questboard for additional prompts.
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[Education time!! She has his full attention. He has no idea if he'll ever return to Teyvat, but it does feel like another home to him, one he spent a whole life in. He does want to learn more about the countries he never got to visit!]
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[It was then at that moment? Her brain came to a halt as she stared at the person before her with wide eyes. Does this mean what she thinks it means...??]
...Are you certain? You are willing to listen to me teaching you a history of my country?
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[That's what she offered, right? And if she's a renowned scholar, who could possibly be more suitable!]
I'm sure.
[Is this going to be super long..? Should he get himself a drink first?]
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If you say so. Where would you like to begin? The story of the dendro archon or the history of the akademiya as those two integral to Sumeru.
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Can I hear about the dendro archon first? I heard that other countries' archons aren't as close to their people as ours in Inazuma.
[Sure, the great Raiden Shogun is still a detached figure, removed from the common folk, but she actually governs her realm! He heard that the archons of Mondstadt and Natlan more of less left their people to their own devices (the latter moreso than the former, who seemingly at least sometimes interfered), and apparently the archon of Liyue outright died!!]
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[Thanks to the traveler, it seems that the discord around Teyvat has been for the better. Thinking about it now, if it weren't for him, their poor Archon would have never escaped from the Akademyia. With a sigh, she closed her eyes as she continued forward.]
The Dendro Archon has been around for quite sometime. She is considered the Archon of Wisdom as she knows much about our world. She was the one who founded the Akademyia and why education is important within Sumeru. She is fairly close with our people as she is always wishing to know more about humans and how they interact within daily life. If it weren't for her, I believe Teyvat and Sumeru wouldn't be as advanced as they are today.
[There was a lot more but....she'll give a very brief run down for now.]
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I knew that Sumeru's archon is the archon of wisdom, but little more. So she founded the Akademiya... if she's close to the people, have you ever met her?
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[She said with a sigh.]
Although, from what I gathered, she does spy and look over the people as much as she can since she is always occupied. However, I wish I can see her as well but my schedule if often busy as well
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[He doesn't inquire about the traveller, because everyone has heard of that mysterious stranger getting involved in matters all over the map. Probably someone who got isekai'd into Teyvat, just like we got isekai'd into Ellipsa.]
What kind of research occupies your time, if I may ask?
[Sure, it's a segue from the archon topic, but surely they can track back there shortly! Surely.]
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[And you know. How much he likes to drink a lot but she'll keep that to himself in fear that he might be here and she doesn't want to face his wrath.]
But regardless, I do linguistics. More specifically ancient text and ruins. You'll be surprised at how much there are in Sumeru and how deadly those traps are.
no subject
That sounds like a dangerous field of study. I can only imagine how much exploration parties will rely on your research!
[He may only have encountered that sort of scenario in the labyrinth under we abandoned well and in VR action games, but all of that was enough for him!]
Have you found any treasure or mummies or whatnot while decrypting things?
no subject
At least not yet.]
No, I'm afraid not. If anything, we mostly learned what is written on the walls of the ruins and how one needs to be careful. After all, the ruins often have a lot of traps. If you're not careful, one might find themselves being stuck for a while!
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I guess curiosity will always keep driving people to go on dangerous adventures like that, huh. In any case I feel like I already have a much clearer picture of your archon and the Akademiya now.
[Faruzan may only have given him the absolute basics, but he's a warrior, not a scholar! Having a broad sense of things is enough for him.]
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[In other words, they are a bunch of nerds and she looked so proud!]
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[He'll still feel most at home at Inazuma no matter what, but he understands the Sumerunian spirit a lot better than before. It really helps to talk to a native!]
Do you intend to join the local Research Centre? Or do you want to enjoy some downtime?
[As far as a world-saving adventure passes for "downtime", in any case.]
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[She said before a fairy went flying above them.]
For instance, why are these chips in these containers? Or how the technology here can things so easier for us. It's all so interesting to me.
[Like the nerd that she is.]
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Chips come in different containers. Usually it's either these bags, or they're stacked in tubes made of more solid material. I guess it's just easiest to eat them out of those kinds.
[He gets up from the bench, apparently deciding that he needs to keep moving.]
Again, for anything technological the Research Centre is your best address. As for entertainment, this very mall is the latest and greatest new asset on that front. Personally I enjoy going to the arcade.
[He's taken a liking to VR action games lately!]
no subject
[But then again, she was used to eating things out of plates and regular cooked meals. Seeing fried potatoes coming out of those vending machines was another...
But as he continued on, there was something that popped up. Tilting her head to the side, she couldn't help but ask.]
Research Center, I can understand. However, what is this arcade? What do you do there?
[Please teach grandma the wonders of video games.]
no subject
The arcade is an amusement centre here where people can play games. Some are physical, but most are digital. I personally prefer the virtual reality ones, especially the shooters!
[The look on her face tells him that this didn't really clear the waters, so he gestures for her to come along with him.]
I'll show you, that's easiest!
no subject
[What were these terms that she was not aware of? For all she knew, the latest technology back home was the invention of the Kamera!]
Then please do. I wish to see what these games are. Especially if that is what you youngsters are into these days.
no subject
I don't know if you'll like them, but perhaps we can start you off with something easy!
[After a not-too-long walk they arrive at the underground mall's sizeable arcade. Faruzan may get distracted left and right, what with all the lights and sounds, but that's no problem since Hijikata needs to re-orient himself as well. He wants to find a VR game for younger children to help her familiarise herself with the concept without having to fight for her life right away!]
Ah! That one might be a good choice! 'My Goldfish Pond'!
[It's straight-up just a cute pond simulation via VR helmet and interactive silicone thimbles, complete with fish that can be fed and, if they get sufficiently tame due to sustained user interaction, lightly petted as they come to the surface. The game also allows the player to customise the pond's flora and general design, and the fish can be bred once they get old enough! Day and night change, too, but the seasons don't. Whichever one is chosen at the start of the game will stay throughout. This is Ellipsa, after all.]
no subject
As she looked around in the arcade, she had to admit. She was impressed all the various things in the area. This was very different from back home. The closest was going to the bazar where there would be gatherings to showcase the latest new fashion or foods around the area.
Still, as she looked at this strange helmet, she narrowed her eyes at it. Holding it in her hands, it didn't seem too heavy nor did it look like it was made out of metal...]
My Goldfish Pond? This certainly is a strange way to play a game. And just how is this game supposed to be a 'virtual reality'?
no subject
[He helps her with the equipment... and before she knows it, she'll be in the virtual tutorial. A friendly voice welcomes her to 'My Goldfish Pond' and explains the functions, letting her test-feed and -pet individual fish that form out of thin air in front of her with a little sparkle effect. The sensor-filled "finger socks" interact with the virtual environment, allowing her to poke and prod and select items such as plants as the tutorial continues.]
Isn't this neat? It makes you feel like you're really somewhere else, doesn't it? We're almost done with the tutorial, next you can pick a season and design your pond! Or we can let the game randomise all that for us, if you want to enjoy it right away.
[This sure is different from his shooters... but it actually is kind of relaxing!]
no subject
There were a lot of things she wanted to ask but that had to wait. Not when she could choose the various items in said pond.]
But how is this all possible? I wasn't aware that there was a game that could mimic reality so well. This is far advanced from what I have seen in my world!
[All the while clicking the winter season and seeing what happens next.]
no subject
I wouldn't be able to explain the technology to you, but it basically all comes down to digital data. Someone created the fish in a computer program that lets you paint "three-dimensional" items, then they animated it so it'd move around, then they associated different animations with different actions you can take in the game.
[This was probably just a bunch of random words to her again...]
If you're really into this I'm sure there are courses at the local places of learning in which you can enroll, but honestly, most people simply have fun with it.
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