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[Wolfhunter107]

"..what?"

Blinking, Ceiwynn glances around the group, looking for any reaction from the others.

"Did anybody else feel something... strange?

[SOLDIER First]

"That's quite strange," Cynefrith says, as puzzled as the rest. They flick through some of their menus, looking for options or a control panel or something of the like to explain what this "CALADBOLG" was.

"I did, in fact. But I do not recall attempting to... "install" anything. I wonder if this is some sort of, er... spell?"

Their facade is cracking, just a little, as they struggle to convincingly reconcile the event with their roleplaying.

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Joker stands back, shaking his head.
"The hell....what was that?"
"You idiots. I told you."
"Joker, did you see that? The CALADBOLG message."
"No way....there's no way that was real. I've heard the rumours. Maya, check your menus. I'll do the same."

Gustave, Cynefrith and Alexis scan through their menus. As they do, they see a tab, labeled CALADBOLG-C. Searching through this tab, the following options are visible.

Code: [Select]

- View Hidden Stats: Off
- View Item Properties: Off
- See FIRBOLG Indicator: Off
- {Code Injection}
- {Toolkit}
- {Repair Code [Requires Patch Files]}
- {Induce Segementation Fault !!DO NOT USE THIS!!}
- About The options with curly brackets are locked to them; they are unable to select those options and they are greyed out on the interface.

In addition, the Aes Sidhe see a new option, separate from the CALADBOLG-C menu.

Code: [Select]

- Log Off

[Twinwolf]

"Cala-what?" Ellen blinked the lights from her eyes - that seemed like a seizure hazard, sudden flashbangs like that! "What rumors? Is there something in the chest that caused that flash?"

[Chevaleresse]

Log out? What. . . what would that even mean? The Divers log out and return to the "real world," but this is my world. Where would I. . . ? Alexis shook her head, trying to clear the sudden wave of confusion, anxiety, and intense curiosity the option's appearance had prompted.
"It seems we've all been subjected to whatever that was." Diverting her curiosity for a moment, she brought up and selected the "About" option; that seems like the least risky way to shed some light on this.
"Your words meant little. Care to elucidate us on what just happened?"

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Joker nods at Ellen.
"There's been rumours, yeah. I've heard a few of them from connections and seen a few on some forum posts. CALADBOLG. Supposedly, a set of tools that let you do things inside Rebel Impulse like spawn in mobs or alter tools. You know, like Moderators have those Limited Modification Tools that let them do things like temp-ban someone? The rumours go that CALADBOLG is supposed to be the tools that those were based off of. Nobody knows if they're real."

Joker ponders the menu options.
"Now we do."

"You morons don't even know what you've done, do you?"

Alexis, meanwhile, checks the About option.

Code: [Select]

------CALADBOLG v.0.54-------
Author: B.
CALADBOLG-C (Visitor Edition)
INTENDED FOR TEST USE ONLY: DO NOT CIRCULATE OR USE OUTSIDE OF APPROVED AREAS.
Key: a23432d5346c
User ID: 2332904234
--------------------------------

[SOLDIER First]

Brow furrowed, Cynefrith holds up their journal for a closer examination, while setting "View Item Properties" to ON.

[IcyTea31]

"This is some interesting tech. Nothing like I've seen on any shard."

Overtaken by curiosity but not by patience, Gustave clicks all of the "off" options to "on".

[SeriousConcentrate]

For a few moments, Sasaki stood stockstill, completely confused.

"Caladbolg?"

He flicked through the options rapidly, looking for all the world like he was performing the ryōbu kuji. He ended up turning all three of the 'off' ones on and was a tiny bit irritated he couldn't do much with the others. While he was doing that, he was muttering under his breath, seemingly trying to get back into character by reciting something quite difficult to make out. Eventually, Sasaki spoke again.

"This is / certainly a strange program. / Where did you get it?"

He seemed altogether a bit too proud of himself for managing to turn a confused remark back into the haiku format he preferred. He turned to Joker.

"You mentioned rumors? / I have never heard of this. / What is Caladbolg?"

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Cynefrith turns on View Item Properties, examining their journal closely.

Code: [Select]

Tag: Journal
Owner: Cynefrith_Godeliva
ID: 29398131287
-------
Combat Equipment?: No
MT: -
Weight: -
Hit Rate: -
Critical Rate: -
Quality: -
Damage Type: -
-------
Material ID: .....
Content Data: .....Everything under the Material ID and Content Data tags are long strings of numbers, numbers that Cynefrith neither has the ability nor the equipment to parse.
Gustave and Sasaki, on the other hand, turn on all the options.

The first thing both realise is that the moment the "See FIRBOLG Indicator" tag activates, they are able to see a small symbol above multiple people nearby, resembling a small, stylised eye next to their usernames. Maya, Alexis, Ceiwynn, a few of the shopkeepers and a few passing players all have this same symbol. They note that Joker, CruXadder, L33tNint0, Ellen, Cynefrith and neither of themselves has this symbol upon their head.

Viewing Item Properties gets them much the same view as Cynefrith. As for Viewing Hidden Stats, their eyes fall on Joker, whereupon a small screen opens up in front of them.

Code: [Select]

Username: OnyxJoker
Entity ID: 1 [Avatar]
Avatar Class: Gunslinger
Shard Origin: Lugh
Avatar Gender: MALE
Avatar Race: HUMAN
Avatar Ascended?: 0
Avatar Unlock?: 0
Ascension Art Unlock: 0
ID: 89034298482394
------------------
Stats:
HP: 20
IMP: 5

STR: 0
MAG: 4
SKL: 5
LCK: 4
DEF: 3
RES: 2
SPD: 5
CON: 6
AID: 5
-------------------
....The rest of the data is long strings of numbers that neither of them understand.

Joker adjusts his hat.
"CALADBOLG is supposed to be the development kit for Rebel Impulse that got leaked. Or, at least, that's what the rumours say. Nobody actually knows if this is the development kit. If the devs know what this thing is, they're keepin' mum."
"This is a whole new mystery....how the hell did you get your hands on something like this, buddy?"
"I ain't talking, boy!"

[Chevaleresse]

"Perhaps you would prefer to squeal?" As she spoke, Alexis moved toward their "friend," and pressed the edge of the axe into the side of his neck, with just shy of enough pressure to cut.

[SeriousConcentrate]

Sasaki nodded in response to Joker. He glanced at the symbols above the heads of Maya, Alexis, and Ceiwynn... but kept his mouth shut, merely filing the information for later. They might suspect he had it, but mentioning it would let them know that he knew. Better to bring it up in private if at all. Instead he joined Alexis, pulling iron on Melthorion with his right hand as his left stayed on the sheath just below the hilt of his katana, the thumb lightly pressed against the tsuba.

"Mystery compounds / Brick by brick, truth is hidden / Tear that wall down, 'sir'.
Tell us precisely / How you managed to acquire / This piece of software."

[Wolfhunter107]

"Caladbolg..."

Ceiwynn ponders the word for a few seconds, turning it over on her head before committing it to memory. Then she turns to address the detective.

"Joker, do you know if this man is believed to have companions? Even if he won't be made to talk, maybe another will."

[SOLDIER First]

"How fascinating! It appears this mysterious "CALADBOLG" has granted me the ability to peer into the unknown properties of our world, seeing things more closely than the untrained eye is capable of."

Their face bright and full of wonder, Cyenfrith gazes around at the rest of those assembled.

"Everyone, you simply must attempt this for yourselves-- Ah, er..."

Cynefrith then seems to notice the mood has turned a shade more serious, and sheepishly deactivates the setting in their menu.

"Perhaps that would be best left for another time..."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Joker nods at the chest Ellen opened.
"If we're right, there should be a ledger in that chest, but-"
"Joker!"

A gunshot rings out, as Maya pushes Joker to the ground, the bullet barely whizzing past Alexis. A group of armed fighters have shown up; the players who have turned on their ability to distinguish Firbolgs from normal Divers see that a few Firbolgs are among them, with one of them having pointed a gun at the group.

Maya places her body over her partner, propping herself up to check on him.

"Are you hurt, Joker?"
"Damn, I should ask you the same question! How did you-"

In the chaos, Melthorion rolls away towards the newcomers.
"Get me out of here! Don't you idiots have a teleport crystal?!"
"We're out of crystals, sir! Needed them to get here!"
"Screw it, we'll need to fight our way out! Get me out of these cuffs!"