Shard of Virtue Online [MMO Quest]

My name is Lucia Slate.

You can neither confirm nor deny that you chose the last name automatically based off the thing you were staring at while considering it.

"Hi, Lucia! My name's Marianne!"

Though you could sort of pretend the Nurse was a person initially, the illusion is broken as soon as you get into asking her questions. It's not so much anything about her animation or voice; she's a little homogenous in her responses, but there's people like that in real life. The actual issues begin to arise once you spend any length of time conversing with her. It takes a full fifteen minutes of questions and answer until you're satisfied with where and when you are, and it quickly becomes apparent that there's no continuity whatsoever between her responses. Sometimes, you'll get the same information doubled up. Sometimes, she imitate a slight change of mood, then immediate snap back to cheerful for her next response. If you asked a question twice, you'd probably get the exact same answer regurgitated.

Still, you get more than enough information to understand where and when you are. The NPC interprets it as memory loss.

Where am I?

The zone you're starting in is Castle Valour. You're not especially surprised. MMOs like to bring back areas from other games for nostalgia, and the Castle was the initial hub area from the first game.

Wasn't Castle Valour and its lord destroyed in the Great War? prompts Marianne to explain how, after the coronation of the new High King, a new Lord Valour was named. You don't bother asking; you're pretty sure you know who it is. The castle was rebuilt under his orders to be more or less a replica of the old one, but slightly bigger and more ostentatious. An ill-advised decision, considering that means it's still not particularly well-defended, but you suppose that's the sort of decision he would make.

As you go on, it becomes clear that it's been about a decade since The Last Magus, which has been a decade of peace and relative prosperity. Arcane magic has been returning to the world (which is a creative decision that has vexed you since you heard there'd be a magician class, but that's how it is), though it remains rare and oft stigmatised. Since Maryanne giggles and dismisses demons as a fairy tale, you guess the Tide is going to be a raid or something.

Eventually, you start running into "I don't know the answer to that"s and you end the conversation. As you do, a messenger pokes his head into the room.

"The Magister requests the presence you both in the main hall."

Maryanne's expression turns quizzical, before proceeding out the door. With the room now empty, you decide to follow her.

As you pass a number of rooms with various people doing various things, you notice one specific person with an exclamation point over their head.

CHOOSE ONE

[] Go directly to the Main Hall (Quest - Our Gracious Host)
[] Help the person out (Quest - The Thief)

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Short update today. Ended up quite tired for reasons I'm not certain of. Next update should be either Tuesday or Wednesday.