ciphers-dv

[ciphers-dv]

no i didn’t forget!!!1! ← totally forgot

Submissions for the Carnival Creativity Contest prompt: An Airy New Friend

To be a Worldhopper is to be often subjected to rather… unusual situations. Anything ranging from getting pulled into petty rivalries, to being attacked by pirates, to getting stuck in sprawling enchanted labyrinths. Not to mention enough encounters with literal deities that would make even the least devout person second guess themself. As for what Nyklo was currently witnessing? It may not have been the most fantastical thing she’d seen; but, it was certainly among the stranger ones. It had begun with stumbling into that colorful, buzzing tent housed within the cacophony of the Carnival (Which was another odd experience in itself) and being swindled into the most bizarre game of cards that she’d ever heard of in her life. Accolades– as the points were called– given and taken without rhyme nor reason. By the end of that first round, Nyklo was convinced that the jester running it was making up whatever numbers would allow him to make away with her potato ante. A second round did not occur. At least, not for her. Before Nyklo could mumble out an excuse to leave, the Worldhopper was bodily shoved aside from her seat at the low table. Her… companion... of a Peryton ruffling their wings before dropping onto the cushion she once occupied. And while picking herself off the floor, Nyklo watched as the Peryton dropped another bundle of potatoes before the jester. ”I’ll play.” … So began the routine for each following day of the Carnival: begin by meandering through a shifting maze, followed by nursing a cup of tea (Or two) while watching a wheel slowly tick its way around, and ending with a visit to the card game tent for a few rounds. There, Nyklo would sit back and bear witness to the fastest plays that she could never imagine. Pitre dropping down a card and rattling off its tribulations just as quickly as Caesari would chirp back a number (The Accolades..?-- “Hey, I thought we started with zero!”) or the answer to some arcane riddle (”Eleven?! That doesn’t even make any sense!”). Nevertheless, Caesari managed to win the grand prize at least a few times. So clearly the beast had managed to decipher something from the game that she wouldn’t have even begun to dream of. However… Sometime within those lightning rounds Pitre expressed an interest in the Peryton (Nyklo couldn’t fault him. Caesari was certainly an… eclectic creature to behold. Nevermind the ability to play– and win– his game. … Speaking without needing to move their mouth… Seeming to know much more than they let on… Delighting in being a general nuisance… ) and contemplated a companion of his own. When the jester stood up from the table and disappeared somewhere deeper into the tent, Nyklo figured he’d gone to fetch something for her to animate for him. It wouldn’t have been the first time it had been asked of her. But, alas, things can never be quite so simple for the Worldhopper. Pitre, in all his jester wisdom, has deemed balloons to be the supreme medium to construct a pet and Caesari, in turn, expressed an interest in wanting to see the results. So after a presumably proper amount of time for the development and creation of a befitting balloon beast, Worldhopper and companion were recalled through one of those bellspeakers. Thus leading up to now… … In the moment it took for Nyklo to drop herself in the entrance of an otherwise empty tent, the jester appeared. Baffled, she gazed up as Pitre– stood in the middle of a slow-laden lane of the Carnival– held aloft a… balloon pony? Yes, indeed; a pony fashioned of pastel-colored balloons and even decorated with a flourish of paint. He brandished the figure at Caesari. The Peryton in turn holding a balloon self-miniature in their maw and looking awfully amused. Where’d that come from? “A most fitting pet for a jester, yes? I see you’ve had one made for yourself.” Caesari’s ears flicked forward, eyes squinting in mirth. ”No.” “No?” Pitre frowned. “It couldn’t have been yourself. You have no hands.” The jester peered at Nyklo. The Worldhopper shrugged back; “No idea.” “Simple, really,” the Peryton continued on, grinning around the balloon-from-thin-air. ”Not real.” Caesari tightened their maw around the balloon animal, making it burst with a loud pop and startling a gaggle of passing by carnivalgoers. And just as the beast has said, not a trace of the balloon was left. Somehow, it never existed in the first place. "Unfortunate. Perhaps you would enjoy one more permanent?" A strange Carnival with strange inhabitants. Strange games with strange rules. But those, at least, were temporary. But strange companions? Much more permanent. Such is the life of a Worldhopper.

[ciphers-dv]

kept forgetting to archive this one

submissions for Witches War Creativity Contest prompt: A Crimson Affliction

It was nigh impossible to truly avoid the crimson mist of the Forest. It enveloped the plants, and ensorceled the creatures; it muddied the waters, and drifted heavily through the air in a revolting miasma. Every second spent amongst the mire was another moment the strange energy could dig its claws deeper, pulling you further into its thrall. Nyklo watched her breath puff out before her as she trekked tirelessly through the Forest, desperately trying to find answers for the awful phenomenon. Her eyes followed the grey-white curls as they floated away, dissipating into the red-tinged air surrounding her. It wasn’t cold enough for her breath to be fogging like it was, so then, why was it? Maybe it was actually smoke. That every bit of the crimson haze the Worldhopper couldn’t help but suck in as she breathed was burning her away from the inside, slowly rendering her into nothing but ashes. It wouldn’t have been the most far-fetched idea to consider. Many times over making contact with the crimson energy had left Nyklo filled with a burning sensation, who’s to say it couldn’t progress to actual, physical harm? After all… the mist didn’t seem to affect her quite the same way as it did with everything and everyone else. Not once had she been filled with all-consuming desires like she’d seen with the witches, Magdalene, or anyone else. No lusts for power, money, food, or adventure. The only thing that grew within her with each passing day was paranoia. She felt like she was being haunted. A constant sensation of eyes following her. First one set, then two, then as though a dozen pairs of eyes surrounded her, peering out from the shadows and watching her every move. The sound of something walking in her wake, or shaking the tree branches above to send down a cascade of flower petals upon her. But no matter how fast she turned to look, there’d be no creature, no tracks, nothing to suggest anything had been there in the first place. Then there were the feathers. Perhaps the only bits of evidence that could be found to say that no, this was not simply a series of mist-induced hallucinations. Deep, dark feathers were littered over the forest floor, or caught in vines or spider webs, or tucked among flowers like another black leaf. When Nyklo had first stumbled across one, she had initially thought that it had come from one of those deities-forsaken crows, but it— like the rest— was much too large to have come from such a bird. And that, strangely enough, something about the feathers was… oddly familiar? Something from well before the crimson mist invaded the Forest. Maybe that was just another nonsensical facet of being a Worldhopper. That the mist wouldn’t affect her like it did the rest of the Forest denizens. It would not make her yearn, or thirst, or crave. It would not make her want. But that it would twist and turn the forest around her to tease and taunt. Try to remind her of an entire life she couldn’t remember anymore. All the frustration, none of the fun. Such is the life of a Worldhopper. Thrust into silly squabbles, or carrying out grand requests, and not to mention having to face literal deities for nothing more than the simple sin of being one. Really thinking about it, it would be so much simpler— so much nicer— to have never be a Worldhop— Whatever, Nyklo snorted, tail lashing behind her as she shoved her way through a tangle of bushes. Not like that’s ever gonna happen. There was nothing to be done but to try and find the reason for the crimson energy, then put a stop to it. Then the witches would finally stop fighting (At least, no more than the usual amount) and whatever was bothering her would finally leave her alone. Everything back to normal. She was trotting down a snaking path in the Forest when, once again, the skin-crawling feeling of trailing eyes washed over her. She tried to brush it off, tell herself it was just a trick of the red mist and nothing was there. But no amount of self-convincing could help keep the hairs from rising on the nape of her neck. Nor could it keep her from jolting— unceremoniously smacking her head on the particularly low tree branch she’d been ducking under— when something heavy thumped from above. Clutching the back of her head and snarling out a curse, Nyklo spun on her heel to peer through the scarlet murk and into the canopy overhead. She fully expected nothing to be there, just like every other time; but, perched on a great bough loomed the Stranger. Her face twisted into a scowl as she stared up at the mysterious, darkly cloaked figure. They stared back, leering from behind that bird’s mask of theirs. For a moment, the two rehashed the contest from days past. Unblinking and with ears pressed back in irritation, Nyklo glared at the Stranger. It must have been them the whole time! How could she have forgotten how they could appear and disappear at will! And the illusions— the big crow head they had! They had been targeting her! Driving her to near madness for days! “WHY WON’T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?!” She screeched at the Stranger, curling her fists into balls so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. But the Stranger did not speak back. Instead, their head cocked to the side, like they were amused. “Not me,” they giggled, dropping off the branch they were on and landing silently on the forest floor. Nyklo stepped back in shock. They didn’t disappear like every other encounter, they… actually spoke. “They’re getting restless,” the Stranger continued. “You’d better get to finding them soon.” She furrowed her brow at the cloaked being. For a second, her gaze drifted away from the Stranger, looking down at a vermillion-colored cricket hopping across the path. What does that even mean..? But in the moment it took for her to snap back to attention, a question poised on her lips, the Stranger had already gone. All that remained of them was a quickly dissipating swirl of red smoke. And… a hoofprint? Batting away the stinging fumes and choking down a coughing fit, Nyklo knelt to the ground. Just as fast as the Stranger had left did all her anger go, swiftly replaced with a wave of confusion over the mysterious mark. And there, right where they had stood was a small, glowing red print of a cloven hoof; like a deer had raced across the path in the milliseconds between the Stranger leaving and her looking up. She watched as the glow quickly faded into nothing, erasing the print entirely. Sighing, Nyklo stood back up. She was back where she began: all questions and no answers. Nothing more to do than to keep on going. Continuing down the path as she had been, she listened to the sounds of the Forest. The birds calling, mice snuffling through the underbrush, tree branches shaking ominously above, and the witches beginning another argument. She hoped she could find answers. And soon.

[ciphers-dv]

The post that anon is directly mentioning w/ some relevant user posts:

The main text if the screenshot is hard to see: “on one hand customs can create some sort of haves and have nots vibe, on the other hand it can create really fun user content and user made events, also more long term goals for people even just for people who want a copy of a custom etc.”

Some Other ‘Interesting’ Posts:

Posts about the Custom Spin Bug: (read from bottom up)

One Offs in No Particular Order: (can’t remember what might be officially stated now and what isn’t, but at least you have dates to compare to for when discord gets info vs. site) 

“snailio — 03/01/2022  I do try my best to match what people want but in the end it’s not a commission with revision steps etc, that’s what we established for the sustainability of the feature “

“snailio — 02/08/2022 it was too fast this time we’ll be monitoring the drop rate and making adjustments as said in the news post :kya: ideally it’ll take like 1-2 days or something to be rolled, though rng does some wacky things sometimes”

“snailio — 08/04/2022 there’s 1 more custom clothing item that’s unrevealed!” – custom still yet to be seen, but ‘interesting’ to see that this information was shared in the discord

“snailio — 07/15/2022 the queue’s gettin caught up month by month 😌 clothing requests only take like… a month or two now of waiting” – just thought to share re: queue backup

“snailio — 06/01/2022 the summer event as it originally was doesn’t exist anymore :kya: it’s been reiterated into this current event”

these two where regarding the spring event and removal of the alchemy loop/exploit but also feels relevant to the current times:

*“snailio — 05/24/2022 from the user’s perspective any kind of easiness to a game is good, but we have to consider more than that, like the game’s health and longevity overall, it’s a delicate balance to make a game feel rewarding and not just so easy you don’t need to play”

*“snailio — 05/24/2022 the balancing and economy is integral to a game like this that’s community oriented, it’s part of the game feel itself” 

…

i’ve searched to the beginning of the year chronologically and also didn’t find much else with keyword searching, so that’s all for now. feel free to ask for context/relevant user posts for anything above!

/691978371253616640?source=share

Was mentioned in the DV-Discord in dv-general by Anj1/sna1l1o on 03/01/2022.

Most of the time you can just find staff’s thought processes on the DV-Discord beforehand there; including some of the other points Admin brought up in the clarification post. Unfortunately it’s scattered over months and years, said before it becomes official news in an on-site post, and not on site so it’s inaccessible to most.

[ reply to this ]

[ciphers-dv]

should probably archive this over here as well before i forget

my submissions for Spring Creativity Contest 2022 prompt:  An Astounding Amazement

“I just found the coolest thing! You’re never gonna guess what it is!” Nyklo spun around at the voice and the insistent tugging on her sleeve. It was Poe, splashing in the shallows of the river and looking fit to bursting with excitement. “Yeah?” Nyklo indulged the girl, stepping into the water and watching as Poe dropped below the surface before popping right back up. “What’s it, then?” “I dunno! But it looked really cool and mysterious, and I thought that maybe you’d wanna see it. ‘Cause you’re a worldhopper and worldhoppers are cool and mysterious, too! So, do you?” For a moment, Nyklo looked to be in deep thought, a hand rubbing against her chin and lightly humming. Not that she actually needed to ponder her answer, of course, she’d made her mind as soon as Poe asked the question, but it was always fun to build up a little anticipation. “Sure, you’ve convinced me; I’ll look at what ya found. So, where’s it at?” She looked back down at Poe, but Poe wasn’t looking at her anymore. The kid was peering past Nyklo and into the land-based stalls of the festival. “Where’s your dog?” “Huh?” Nyklo cast a look over her shoulder, frowning. Had her Meadow Hound decided to wander off and she hadn’t noticed? “Antera should be, uh,” her voice drifted as she scanned over the crowds, trying to spot her companion. “... Right there.” She sighed— all too used to the creature’s uncanny ability to appear right when needed— as the Hound trotted out from between two stalls, a dumpling held in her maw and looking all too pleased with herself. Antera swallowed down her treat as she padded closer to the worldhopper and goldfish, then hopped right into the water to snuffle at Poe. The girl reached out one fin to rub at the Hound’s snout. “Oh!” Poe jumped out of the water with a splash. “Can I ride your dog to the thing I found?” Nyklo’s face pinched, ears pressed back against her head. “I don’t think that’s how it works, kid. Don’t ya have to stay in the water?” Poe rolled her eyes. “Yeah… But your dog can swim, right? C’mon, everyone back at school will be soooooo jealous when I tell them how I got to ride a dog at the festival.” Nyklo pursed her lips, no less than a little dubious that it would work. She looked at Antera, who whined and shoved her nose into Poe’s cheek. “You can try. But don’t be upset if it turns out you can’t.” Poe pumped her fins with a cheer as the Meadow Hound sank further into the river, deep enough to let Poe clamber onto her back but still remain partially submerged. “This is so awesome!” “Well.” Nyklo blinked at the sight. Seems Poe could. “Alright! So, the super cool mystery thing I found was in,” Poe began, squinting over the festival before pointing off in the distance. “That direction!” Nyklo expected her Meadow Hound to begin a leisurely swim that she could easily follow along from the shore. She did not, however, expect the Hound to leap into the shallows and break into a gallop, sending up a volley of water in her wake as she sped away with Poe, shrieking in delight, clinging to her back. Nyklo was frozen where she stood, wide-eyed and tail bottle-brushed as she watched the two grow smaller and smaller in the distance. The cries of the splashed festival-goers broke her from her shock, dropping into a sprint of her own as she yelled out: “ANTERA!!” The worldhopper ran along the shoreline, dodging around individuals and groups alike, in the direction that Poe and her Hound had gone, one hand pressed atop her head to keep her hat from flying away. How far could they have gotten? Where had they even gone? Would she be able to find them?!-- Well, actually, she knew Antera would always, somehow, be able to find her. So she didn’t have to worry about that. But still!! For a few minutes more, Nyklo kept her pace down the river, scanning the water for the sight of Poe or her Hound. Then– There!-- in a little carved out cove Antera was lounging in the water, Poe sat at her side. A small gaggle of children surrounded them, patting and cooing at the Hound. As Nyklo drudged her way through the water to the duo, the children scurried off, giggling amongst themselves. Once close enough, she dropped unceremoniously into the water and shot a withering look at her Meadow Hound. “Can you not do that again?” Antera huffed. Poe hopped up from her seat and swam in circles, energized by the event. “Now that you’re finally here, we can see the thing I found! It’s just down this stream.” Without waiting, the girl sped down a winding little stream that fed into the cove. With a slight smirk and a remark on the boundless energy of sugar-fueled small children, Nyklo followed along. And it was… strangely empty. There were no stalls, or entertainers, or even wandering visitors of the festival. Only a little twisting stream bound with tall grasses on either side. But it was calm. A peaceful experience rather than eerie. How Poe found this place was just as much a mystery as whatever it was that she discovered in it. “It’s here!” Poe called from a little ways up, one fin raised high and waving above the water. “Come look!” Nyklo swam a little faster, truly intrigued to see whatever it was that Poe had found for herself. As she approached, the girl explained that her discovery was underneath before dipping below the surface. Nyklo followed suit, diving down to see Poe gesturing furiously towards… something. Two small structures jutted out from the stream bed: amorphous, many-lobed, and a pinkish color. Nyklo, frankly, had no idea what she was looking at. Poe, however, launched into her own thoughts about her findings. “It’s like coral! But it can’t be coral because coral doesn’t grow here. I even asked my parents and they said so, too. Do you think it could be a super secret treasure from Signi herself?” “It’s…” Nyklo scrutinized the mysterious objects, reaching out to prod one with a finger. “Made of stone, whatever it is. Maybe there’s more of it that’s buried?” “Maybe!” Poe agreed, plunging her fins into the sand and silt of the stream’s bed. “I can feel more of it, let’s dig it up.” Together, the two scraped away the muck from around the stone shapes, revealing more and more of what was hidden beneath. Poe was practically bouncing as she dug, thrilled that her discovery was so much more than she had first thought. “Oh, I think it’s a statue! Come on, come on, I wanna see it!” “I think I can pull it out from here, Poe. Get back, alright?” Nyklo grabbed around the widest part of the mud-obscured item as Poe nodded, swimming back and buzzing with excitement. With a great heave, Nyklo dredged up the treasure from the sticky bottom of the stream. She trudged through the water, the object cradled in her hands, to deposit it on the bank of the water. Splashing it with water to clear away the remaining mud, she called back; “You’re right, it’s a statue!” “Whoooaaaa!” Poe popped out of the water and leaned close to the freshly unearthed statue. “That’s so cool!” Carved from red sandstone, a great sea dragon arched up with its wings flared (Those had been what had originally been sticking out, revealing the statue’s hiding place). The dragon was curled around a koi, its fanning fins glistening in the sunlight. Each had a tear at the corner of their eye, and both were set against a backdrop of a blooming lotus.The sculpture was ancient, one could tell just from looking at it, its details worn almost smooth from the passing of many years. Still, enough was retained to show its beauty. “It’s Signi,” Poe’s voice was softened in her awe. She then brightened and turned to face Nyklo. “I bet we could sell this and make a lot of money. Then we could buy SO MUCH candy!” “Ooor,” Nyklo drawled, concerned over how many sweets Poe had consumed over the course of the festival. “We could show it to Lian. She’d like it, don’t ya think?” Maybe the festival custodian would display the statue, a long lost relic from a festival held an untold number of years ago. A testament to the ever enduring reverence of Signi. Poe puffed out her cheeks. “I guess.” “Let’s bring it to her, then.” Gathering up the statue, Nyklo began the trek back to the festival grounds, Poe swimming beside her. “I hope we get a reward for the statue. Like a big badge reading ‘Best Treasure Finders.’” Nyklo chuckled at the girl. “If not, I’ll get you something.” “Like one of those Signi shaped candies? Or more of those sweet dumplings you got me a few days ago, actually. Can we get some for your dog, too?!” She looked ahead, spotting the Hound luxuriating in the water of the cove she’d been left in, once again surrounded by adoring children. “If you really want to, sure.” “Awesome! This has been the best day ever!”

[ciphers-dv]

(this is a grey rhebok just for reference but antelope is antelope)

but what bothers me isn’t exactly the shape of the ‘antlers’ as spike bucks are a thing but the ridge lines because antlers are for all intents and purposes smooth

and while a slightly different conversation, how the wisteria antlers are called horns in the discription. those are not interchangeable terms

my brain refuses to accept the wisteria doe as a deer. every time i have to look at one i think “that is an antelope”. look up a grey rhebok and tell me there is a difference. /hj

[It looks exactly like a dik-dik (so yeah an antelope)]

[ciphers-dv]

[ciphers-dv]

hmm, well 

remember how people expressed frustration a year ago about how the seasonal pets were locked behind the premium currency monthly free claim?  somehow, DV has made it even worse. cause hey? 3 premium locked pieces to get was annoying? try 4 on for size!

and, sure, you can now get the prior year’s pieces outright...

for 500 turnips ($5 in cad-- about $4usd for personal reference) each (and the in-game currency one is still claim-locked btw)

ya know, the currency that is fleetingly harder to get with the passing time for FTP players as there are no new NPCs with which to play the time-consuming affection game and the amount you get from birthdays/theater(if it even works for you)/login in bonus is a pittance in comparison to the cost of everything premium. and is, for whatever reason, is account locked despite the general consensus among the community that opening turnips for player to player trading/selling would help the site economy to flourish 

and between this and the custom kerfuffle(which i use that term in a very jesting manner because i genuinely really feel for the affected player, cause if you’ve seen everything regarding that-- in regards the the actual issue and with how some people are responding to it--... oof)

i want to enjoy you DV, i really do, but you sure do make it hard sometimes

[ciphers-dv]

adventuring in Soll’s ruins

[ciphers-dv]

also posting this here cause i guess?!?

some submissions for the Winter Creativity Contest prompt: Dreams of the Lost

It really wasn’t so bad. Or, at least, not nearly as terrible as Astra’s complaints would make it seem. Tuck herself this way; shuffle a blanket over there; adjust her tail just right and Nyklo could easily sleep amongst the stone cold walls of the Ruin’s labyrinth. Then again… she did have a nice coat of fur and was well used to more unconventional sleeping arrangements, whether that be up a tree or sprawled out in a field not far from a heavily trafficked traveling route. So maybe the old harpy didn’t have much of an equal companion to commiserate with. But, ultimately, the joke was on Nyklo, because Astra was already asleep. Within minutes of settling in for the night, her maze-wandering company had drifted into a quiet slumber, buried in blankets and as close to the roaring fire as he could safely be. Nyklo, however, was kept awake by a mysterious something that dug uncomfortably into her lower back. Every blind swipe of her hand found nothing and a wiggle brought only a few brief seconds of relief before the prodding returned. Of course, she could have simply gotten up to investigate, but it took so long to get situated just perfectly so that the thought brought a pinched frown to her face. If she could just wait it out… She squirmed again as the something jabbed her spine through the layers of blankets and clothing. That was enough. With a defeated groan, the Animal Worldhopper rocked to her knees and spun to face the stone wall that she had propped herself against. Her brow furrowed as she scanned over her intended sleeping nook, trying to find the source of her ire. But from wall to ground there was… nothing. Not a crack or pebble or even speck of dirt. Only stone smoothed from the years and elements. “Really?” Nyklo whined, ears pinning back. There had to have been something for what was going on. Lips pursed, she peered her way up and down the labyrinthine corridor she and Astra had taken refuge in. Again, nothing but smooth stone walls and floors. Not a clue for her disturbance. Feeling more than a little frustrated,Nyklo reached one hand out of the warmth of her blanket wrap and tapped harshly against the chilled wall with a nail. Wssh! A small rectangle of stone popped partially out of the wall with a faint grinding sound. And, well, it really wasn’t all that surprising. The walls had already moved many times in the past few days. Just another one of the mysterious mechanisms of the labyrinth. Nyklo went to grasp the protrusion. Maybe it would twist or could be pulled out the rest of the way and reveal a clue towards exiting the mind-numbing maze. But as soon as the pads of her fingertips brushed the stone, it rocketed back into the wall, just as fast as it had presented itself. She jerked her hand back. Now that was different. Nyklo sat back on her heels for a second, ears twitching as she stared dumbfounded at the wall. Completely smooth again. She leaned forward, towards the wall, there had to be a hairline seam or— The block popped out again. She flinched at the sudden movement, pulling away from the wall with her shoulders drawn up and eyes wide. She sat, still and half curled in on herself, and watched the stone. One beat. Two. The block remained where it was. Nyklo kept staring. Then the block pulled in slightly, then pushed back out. Then it repeated the action, again and again, like it was… wiggling? Once again, she reached out for the fluttering stone. This time she could actually touch it, and as her hand fully grasped the block, a sharp click sounded from the wall before her. A half dozen more blocks— larger blocks— sprang forth from the wall. Nyklo’s head snapped up to take in the new additions. They were longer, wider stones that rose up the wall at a sharp angle. “A staircase?” She breathed out, letting go of the small block. The stepping stones flitted in a wave at her question. Nyklo chewed her inner cheek as she considered the stairs. On one hand, with everything that had happened so far, a hidden staircase didn’t seem strange enough to be worth questioning. On the other hand, between having no handholds and moving steps, a nasty fall would be all too easy. On the other other hand, it would be downright foolish to not see where the staircase might lead (She could practically hear Astra bemoan the lost opportunity). The stepping stones waved again, beckoning her. She approached the lowest stair and set one foot down on it, feeling its chill bite through her sock. One last glance was thrown over her shoulder at the softly snoring harpy. Then, she heaved herself up and began her ascent of the mysterious staircase. With each step a new stone jutted from the wall, guiding Nyklo up and away from the camp. And a single hand running along the wall, accompanied by a mantra to not look down until something more assuredly stable was under her, were her only ways of fighting back the feeling that she was going to plunge back towards the ground of the labyrinth. Still, she climbed up the seemingly endless stretch of stone. After a time that, frankly, seemed far too long for her to still be climbing, Nyklo finally was able to make out the top of the stone walls. Goal in sight, she doubled her efforts. Up, up, up, and with a spring in her step she hopped off the final stepping stone and onto the top of the great Ruins. For a second she stared unseeing across the sea of stone walls as she caught her breath. Then, with a sense of carelessness that would strike fear into the hearts of anyone with acrophobia, she spun on her heels and peered down the way she came. The staircase was gone. That… would be a problem. Nyklo sucked her teeth and shoved the thought aside to deal with later. Worry about that if or when the need would arise. If worse came to worst, maybe she could find Pellumi and he’d be able to rescue her from this predicament (That was another thing that wasn’t nearly as bad as Astra’s complaints would make it. The elf was a little boisterous, maybe, but it wasn’t like he was malevolent or anything. Really, he seemed kind of lonely at the core, but was just trying to hide behind dramatic words and flashy theatrics… Anyways, Nyklos’s tail lashed at the wandering thought).  Beyond that, she squinted into the yawning depths, trying to see anything in the darkness below. And— There!— in the distance was a tiny flicker beating against the shadows: the campfire. Satisfied, she straightened out to take in the view while she walked across the top of the stone wall. The moonlight on the Ruins was beautiful; the way it skipped across the tops of the labyrinth’s walls and made the snowdrifts glitter. Though a little voice in the back of her head did suggest she instead take the time to plot out the maze with this bird’s-eye view. What a shame Nyklo didn’t have the foresight to bring paper and something to write with before she began her ascent; it’d be impossible to even attempt to memorize everything. Oh well, she shrugged and skirted around a pile of slushy snow, at least she could enjoy the little excursion to the fullest. At a corner, she stopped. It probably wouldn’t be too wise to stray so far from the camp. That way, if she did find her own way back down into the labyrinth, she could return easily. It was one thing to be lost with another person, but the Worldhopper all on her own? Who knew what could happen? Getting hurt could be disastrous. But instead of turning back the way she came, Nyklo looked up. She pondered the shining full moon above. So, even the moon was just another face of another deity. Nyklo almost frowned at the thought. Would it also have some winding message for her? Something that she should be doing better, something more, all while it hung up above in all its unreachable, shining golden indifference— Wait. The wind became piercing as she realized a detail that should probably be particularly concerning. The moon was no longer the honeyed yellow that she remembered. It was pale, shining a cold light across the Ruins. She… She should go back to the camp and wake Astra. Maybe he’d know if this had anything to do with the eclipse story they’d been living out. Or another story about Soll. Anything that could explain what was going on. She’d been about to turn back when the wind gusted, rooting her to the spot. It was colder than anything she’d experienced yet, burning through every layer she wore and freezing her to the core. It pitched and howled, swirling into a song demanding she stay right where she was. And from it rose a voice, lilting as it called aloud and dripping with derision: “Light and dark, black and white… Always straining to strike a futile balance. Why not let it all be grey?” The wind faded, drifting back into a cool breeze. A sound of soft clacking against stone filled its place. Nyklo— finally released from the wind’s siren song— spun around herself, searching for the source but saw nothing beyond pallid moonlight. The voice continued, sounding close: “It’s both; it’s neither. Nothing to worry about… But they wouldn’t understand, would they?” The last question felt pointed. That the voice wasn’t calling into the endless aether of the Ruins anymore, but speaking directly to her. Her fur prickled. What did it want from her? “What do you mean?” Nyklo called into the night. But she received no spoken answer, only the sound of beating wings getting louder and louder and loud— “GUH!” Nyklo sat up, fanning away the Moon Moth that was frantically buffeting her face with its wings. “C’mon, Silvit, do you hav’ta?” Oh. She’d fallen asleep, she thought as she stared bleary-eyed at the campsite, back in the bowels of the labyrinth. Back to the towering stacks of ancient stone bricks instead of the impossibly large slabs of solid stone. How did she not notice? It had all been a dream. The Moth returned, fluttering directly in her sightline before dancing away. Nyklo watched her pet as it flitted through the air, swirling around the campfire— now reduced to smoldering ashes— before it lighted briefly upon Astra, the elderly harpy shivering in his sleep. That wouldn’t do. She rose to her feet, shaking her head and feeling clammy, as she shucked all of her blankets to the ground but one. The final she carried over to Astra and flung it over the shuddering mass, humming as he settled. Next, she padded over to the remains of the fire, picking up a stick from a pile of tinder. Maybe if she could find some buried embers, she could stoke the flames back rather than rebuild it all from scratch. Wielding the stick like a poker, she knelt by the campfire and began to sift through the ashes. But, unfortunately, all she could find were crumbling cinders that rapidly cooled from the winter wind. Nyklo puffed her cheeks and leaned forward for a closer look, dreading the thought of building the fire anew, when a shine in the ashes caught her eye. “A feather?” She mumbled aloud as she dug the object from the cinders. And it was. A large, inky black feather, singed around the edges and reflecting back the (decidedly normal) marigold moonlight from above. Standing again, Nyklo glowered down at the mysterious feather. Something about it was familiar, but whyever hid deep in the back of her mind, tauntingly just out of reach. It consumed her though, focusing on nothing but the odd black feather. … “The old man’s much more tolerable when he’s asleep.” Nyklo squealed, tail bottlebrushed, as she whipped around to face the intruder. She’d been getting startled way too many times tonight, asleep or otherwise. And when did Pellumi get there? It must have been the middle of the night! What would he even be doing at this time?! She glared at the elf as he strode closer, casually twirling his staff in his hands. “What do you have there?” Pellumi spoke again as he closed in, carelessly plucking the feather from Nyklo’s hands. Bewildered by the audacity, she watched wordless as he held the feather up, inspecting it with an all-too-serious expression. He then turned his attention towards her. “I’ve never seen anything like this in the Ruins. Where did you find it?” “I, uh, it-it was in the fire,” Nyklo stuttered out (“Smooth,” a little voice in the back of her head supplied unhelpfully). Pellumi gave a little noncommittal noise, pocketing the feather. “Well, I’ll be confiscating this, then, interloper.” The elf gave a sweeping bow— shooting a playful wink at the dip— before straightening again and rapping his staff against the stony ground. In a puff of smoke he vanished, just as quickly as he had appeared. Empty handed and impossibly flustered, Nyklo dropped her head back, staring straight up at the sky and the golden moon above. She was left with nothing but already half-forgotten dreams and whatever memory she could retain of the strange black feather. And now she definitely had to remake the fire. It was going to be a long rest of the night; but, at least she could enjoy the quiet. A snore broke the silence.

[ciphers-dv]

may as well put it over here too

some submissions for the Autumn Creativity Contest prompt: A Creature of the Mind

“Why do they have to go so fast?” Nyklo groaned, plucking a burr snarled into her fur as she tromped her way through the overgrowth. The Animal Worldhopper had decided to tag along with Vierre as they began another day of exploring the mysterious Grove. The pace that the Elven merchant had set was brutal, but ultimately manageable provided that there were no snags in the course. So, of course, a well-hidden root in the underbrush sent Nyklo stumbling to the forest floor. And by the time she regained her footing, Vierre, sat astride their massive Swamp Hound, was gone. Leaving her and her own Hound (Still too young; too small to be ridden) well and thoroughly alone in the dense forest. So what else was there to do but continue on? Maybe they could find Vierre again, or one of the other merchants, or even the Sprouts. Or, at the least, somewhere vaguely familiar to get a bit of orientation. “Think that’s the same tree, Ero?” Not that Nyklo thought she’d done anything but walk in a straight line so far, but with everything that had happened in the Grove in the past days, it wouldn’t be so out of the question. The Swamp Hound padded away from the tree he had been sniffing and huffed. Probably not. The two continued on their way, passing trees, bushes, and other plants that had long since blended together. The Grove, while beautiful, was unkind to anyone who was trying to get anywhere specific within its lands. But as they walked, the forest changed. The birdsong quieted and the leaves stilled from wind or creature alike. The air grew heavier; less morning mistiness and much more of a dense fog. Nyklo tensed. If it weren’t for the vibrancy of the foliage and hints of dappled sunlight still breaking through, she’d have thought she’d somehow wandered back into that shadowed forest from a not so distant past. Still, she stepped a little closer to her Hound, one hand fisted into his long fur. Just in case. The near silence stretched on as Worldhopper and Hound walked. The only sounds being the soft give of the undergrowth beneath wary feet. The quiet wonder of what was wrong. Then the sound of a snapping branch, near deafening in comparison. Two sets of ears snapped to attention. It sounded as though whatever caused it was just steps ahead, just beyond a thick wall of vegetation. Ero took the lead; the Swamp Hound pressing his muzzle through the leaves, sniffing, then walking through all at once. Nyklo frowned-- “What?! Just gonna go on without me?”-- before following along where the plant had been pushed apart. Nyklo froze mid-step. It was a small glade, made almost hazy with fog. And in the center was… was something. Nothing Nyklo had ever heard of or seen, for sure. It was like a deer, but not quite. Same body and curling antler, but the creature had a long, plumed tail and dark wings folded neatly upon its back. And it’s face… The beast’s body was turned away from her, but its head twisted back; a white, skull-like face holding dark eyes that looked deep into her own. It was poised, calm. Like it knew she was coming. Like it was waiting for her. And despite everything-- despite the sheer anomaly before her-- something about it felt familiar. Not like the crawling cloudiness of a long forgotten memory (She’d encountered many of those as a Worldhopper). But rather like the frayed edges of an old dream. Not daring to move, Nyklo eyed her Hound, imagining him hackles raised and standing at attention. Instead he was pawing the ground, facing a completely different direction and completely unbothered. Doesn’t he see it? A flash of movement had Nyklo’s attention snapping back to the creature. Its ears had flicked forward and its expression had shifted ever so subtly. It looked amused. And as though it could sense Nyklo’s exponentially growing confusion, its maw opened and the beast began to speak in a lilting voice:

“I am but a Creature of Mind Crow and bone of hart and hind And while now I stay where shadows dance If you test your luck, take a chance A legendary statue you could earn And mold a shape for which you yearn To be born in a pearlescent flare And perhaps echoed in a mirror’s glare”

At the last word, the beast flicked its long tail and turned its head, striding away through the growth without resistance. With a burst, the Grove returned to its normal state. The fog was blown away with a gentle breeze, and birdsong and animal chatter refilled the air. Nyklo dug the heels of her hands into her eyes and rubbed, overwhelmed with what had happened in just a short few seconds. What even was that? “Ero..?” She turned to the Hound, who was sniffing a snail that was slowly inching over a sparkling leaf. He seemed completely oblivious, like nothing had ever happened beyond the moment the two had been left behind. Ero turned to face his companion with his head tilted in curiosity. Did I imagine everything? She had nothing to show for the encounter. Would anyone even believe her if she told them? Nyklo stared at the Hound and held her breath. It’d be easier to act like nothing happened. Heaving a sigh, she continued, “Let’s keep going.”

[ciphers-dv]

I was so thrilled about the new pet but now that I have to spend turnips for it I feel horrid this :/ sucks

yup

especially since the pieces are ~bonus items~ so you have to get a bunch of things you might not want (ie. if you aren’t interested in the clothing) to obtain them

plus you have to alch them together so if you accidentally goof it, like having two of the same pieces and not noticing, you’re sol

would have been much better if we could just buy them outright, at the least.

[ciphers-dv]

feeling just about exactly the same right now

at this point, it feels like 98% of the reason why i’m still playing is fomo on everything because of how much retires month to month while the other 2% is a desperate clinging to the idea that the site might get better which, uh, doesn’t look too promising right now

i’ve done a personal bare minimum (playground max, the little dailies, the theater now since it requires 0 effort beyond remembering to let it run each day, etc.) and maybe a town of dailies since like December or so and even then it is such a slog and takes so long. just enough to get the monthly stuff. rinse repeat

Dappervolk really up and forgot that a virtual pet/avatar site has to, first and foremost be FUN for their userbase huh? If users are having fun they will want to invest their time and even their money on site

I wont lie i had a ton of fun in beta and I really had hope in dappervolk (hence the whole blog) but i haven’t played in months bc it’s not fun and no update is truly encouraging, hell I go into the monthly sets sighing bc of FOMO over the clothing. DV i really wanted to like you, hell i love my worldhoppers but this isn’t free to play and this isnt fun

There is no context here on the dappervolk tag that isn’t literally a salt blog or idk if they’re still active or not cuz i blocked them but 2 blogs mocking the userbase. That doesnt foster or encourage community but hell i can’t expect that if the site itself doesnt!! im just sad and dissapointed

[ciphers-dv]

so who else is feeling

on this pet site tumblr tag tonight?

[ciphers-dv]

postin this sorta… censored for some sweet sweet body horror. the opal valkyrie’s horn sure is Something big big warning for trypophobia and gross inflamed looking body horror pustules. like please do not look unless you genuinely like weird nasty shit. i dont want to traumatize anyone i just want to draw awful things lmao link to full art here, you have been warned so :shrug emoji:

[ciphers-dv]

oh yeah, i drew the Good and Honorable Thomas a few days ago

[ciphers-dv]

guess who’s obsessed with dappervolk

[ciphers-dv]

finally done! ; v;