-{ M e l o c a n i a }-

[SHIVERS]

???: Oh, we're not you. Our bad, existence is weird sometimes.
YAWN: Don't worry, I'm an expert.



???: So like... Sorry about that whole being very pushy thing at first. Took a moment to realize.
YAWN: Hmm...
YAWN: I forgive you.

YAWN: ...This time.
???: !


YAWN: ...What?
???: ...
YAWN: I'm only playing with you!
YAWN: Lighten up a little.





???: ...Well.
???: ...I do hope we can figure out what we are, and help you along the way!
YAWN: You're in my head, so I'll figure out what you are!
YAWN: And clearly, you're just my intuition. ...Or something.
YAWN: So I'll call you that.








INTUITION: Oh.



YAWN: Now, back to what I was doing.
YAWN: Picking one of these things...

INTUITION: Obviously your input is valid too Yawn, but Twenty seems like the best choice here.
YAWN: Possibly...
INTUITION: I personally think the coin seems most appropriate.
YAWN: Could be, I do like th--
YAWN: . . .
YAWN: ...wait, what?
INTUITION: All creatures are creatures of extremes. And mayhaps when you accept risk...
INTUITION: You should always take the risk with the most likely outcome of success, and that is the coin--
INTUITION: There's something funky about Six...
YAWN: ...Intuition, please--
INTUITION: Take that one - curiosity killed the, uh, plant.
INTUITION: But satisf--
YAWN: You just said--!
INTUITION: How about the 20-sided die?
YAWN: . . .
YAWN: ...what is... happening...? 



INTUITION: . . .
INTUITION: ...The coin would be an interesting pick.
INTUITION: It would be especially so if the coin has a slim chance of landing on its side.
INTUITION: ...Though, there seems to be something quite unique ab--
YAWN: NO MORE, THANK YOU.











YAWN: "Coin! Two! Whatever it's called."
YAWN: "...Please and thank you."
 

The other two pillars fade out, breaking away into nothing as the dice disappear.

Yawn reaches out to grasp the coin,
but it fizzles away and disappears...


...Only to reappear just in front of Yawn's right shoulder,
fizzling back into existence with a soft, sifting noise.

???: "Hello."
YAWN: "Hi."
???: "...I'll skip the pleasantries, if it's all the same to you.
YAWN: "Oh. Sure."
???: "Customarily, denizens of Melocania give their pippet a name when they receive them."



INTUITION: Perhaps the pippet can be called Denios?
INTUITION: You can name it whatever you like, Yawn.
INTUITION: How about Bit? Six is a good name, too.
INTUITION: Actually, just mash together whatever syllables come to mind.
YAWN: Let's keep this simple.



 YAWN: "Bit's a good name for you."
???: "As in binary?"
???: "Clever."
YAWN: "...What?"
???: "...Nevermind."
BIT: "Thank you for the name."
YAWN: "Of course! I picked it out myself."





BIT: "There's some information we need to go over now."
BIT: "And I'd like to finish it in a comfortable amount of time."
YAWN: "Agreed. Try and make it quick. I'm sure I'll pick it up fine, anyway."
BIT: "...Let's get started."



















"First off: Rolls.
Rolls are a naturally-occurring phenomenon of Melocania.
All rolls are valued on a scale of 1-20, with higher numbers being a better outcome."

"As your Pippet, I will do these rolls automatically.
In my case, this consists of... flipping to see which side I land on.
This will determine the outcome of many actions you take, as well as passive events."
BIT: "Given you chose me, your rolls will consist of 20s and 1s:  Critical successes, and critical failures." 
BIT: "...I hope you consider yourself lucky."
YAWN: "Of course I do."
BIT: "Let's hope you're right, then."



"In addition to rolls, outcomes are also determined by your personal stats.
Your stats will affect almost everything you do while in Melocania."

YAWN: "I have those...?"
BIT: "Yes."
BIT: "Here are your stats thus far."









YAWN: "...'Com'... 'Pac'..."
YAWN: "...Bit, I don't have a clue what any of these mean."
BIT: "That's alright. I'd planned to go over them with you."
Bit clears their throat, or at least simulates the act.
















"PHYSICALITY stats are shown in orange, and are relatively simple.
They deal with your physical body; how well you can use it, and what for.
Your effectiveness in combat is mostly determined by PHYSICALITY stats, as well.
At base level, these stats are affected by your species and morph, as well as any outlying physical attributes."



"Force is physical strength. 
How hard you can hit, how much weight you can lift, that sort of thing.
If you want to move, break or carry something sturdy, you'd need to roll Force.
Additionally, your rating with this affects your ability to use large, heavy weapons."
YAWN: "And I'm starting with a negative in this becaauuse...?"
YAWN: "I'm plenty strong."
BIT: "Snap Lukos are typically less physically strong than other Luko morphs, owing to their small size and more delicate limbs."
YAWN: "...I'm an exception, then."
BIT: "..."



"Precision is exactly as it sounds.
Anything that requires precise timing, positioning, or balance would require a Precision roll.
Weapons that require Precision can be anything from rapiers to firearms."
YAWN: "...Hey."



"Pace is your physical speed.
Not just how quickly you can run; it involves your reflexes, as well.
If you need to sprint, dodge something, or catch something, you'd roll Pace.
Pace weapons would include dual-wielded weapons, certain small blades, and rapid-fire projectiles."



"Absence is more of an outlier, but it comes down to stealth.
It involves keeping your presence to a minimum - thus the name.
If you need to hide, move silently, or blend in with a crowd, you'd roll Absence.
This stat mainly affects concealed weapons."

BIT: "Does all that make sense?"
YAWN: "Yes, yes, smash stuff. Got it."
BIT: "..."











"MENTALITY stats are shown in green, and affect how you think about the world, and yourself.
They often involve picking up on information you otherwise might not.
Though, they can also deal with emotions, and even certain physical activities.
At base level, these stats are affected by your personality; namely, questions you answered before spawning."
YAWN: "What questions?"
BIT: "...The questions you answered - most likely - a few minutes ago."
BIT: "You can't spawn without answering them."
BIT: "Have you forgotten already?"
YAWN: "I'm telling you, I never answered any questions!"
BIT: "...It's alright. I wouldn't worry about it."
YAWN: "..."



"Composure is your ability to keep calm despite your circumstances.
It deals not only with stressful situations, but pain tolerance as well.
An important note is that it will not make you less stressed, nor heal your wounds.
It will only allow you to keep going despite these things, and hide your distress and pain from others."
YAWN: "There's another mistake on my stat sheet."
BIT: "There isn't."
YAWN: "I have a negative two in Composure."
BIT: "Correct."
YAWN: "No, not correct."
BIT: "It is."
YAWN: "Why? "
BIT: "...Let's move on, Yawn. I'd like to get through all this quickly."



"Sense is self-explanatory.
Attempting to gain information using your senses - your sight and hearing, mainly - will come down to a Sense roll.
Though, Sense rolls often happen automatically, without warning, allowing you to potentially notice something in the moment.
It's worth noting that a high Sense stat can lead to sensory overload if too much is happening at once."



"Inference deals with following logical threads to a conclusion.
Put pieces together and intuit solutions or answers based your available information.
And, when you can't solve a problem outright, Inference will help you theorize better.
Though, endless over-analysis can be taxing on one's mental health."
YAWN: "..."
YAWN: "...I shouldn't have--"



"Finally, Drama deals with emotions, and 'acting.'
Detect the emotional cues of others better, as well as picking up on when they're acting in some way; typically lying.
On the flipside: Drama helps you fake emotions more convincingly, and lie better in general, should you need to.
The stat may help you play other parts better, but it won't help you deal with repercussions if you're found out."
YAWN: "...Don't look at me like that."
BIT: "I wasn't."







"The EXTRANATURALITY group of stats are in purple,
and are... new, to the expansion, replacing the old, simpler magic system.
They deal with extranatural entities, and can grant powerful... abilities,
at the expense of exposing yourself to extranatural forces - which I would say is inadvisable in all circumstances -
but especially in the case of having a negative in these stats, as you are essentially placing a target on your back."



"Seraphic deals with... angels.
Considering their reputation, I doubt I need to explain much.
Suffice to say, there are fates worse than death.
...However, begrudgingly, I can't brush off the immense power they hold.
There is no question that having an angel on your side could trivialize most potential problems.
The more sensible question, then, is:  Do you want an angel on your side?"



"Depth concerns the 'Neleval', which I know little about.
Research on them is practically nonexistent, due to their elusive nature and lack of concrete evidence on their existence.
There are really only rumors.
Supposedly, they existed even before the angels.
Supposedly, they speak an ancient, long-forgotten language.
It's all hearsay, really. But I would tread lightly."



"Realmic..."
Bit sighs.
"...Fairies. And fairy realms."
YAWN: "You have a problem with fairies?"
BIT: "...Let's just say if any of these extranatural entities are purely fictional... I'd bet on fairies."
BIT: "Put another way: They call them 'fairy tales' for a reason."
YAWN: "Clearly, that's what they want you to think."
BIT: "..."



"Memento supposedly deals with 'Memoirs'.
All I know is that it's apparently a location,
and that memories are involved somehow, hence the name.
Beyond that, it's a mystery.
No rumors, no fairy tales, nothing. Clearly not something to involve yourself in."



"It's my opinion that this new magic system is volatile and dangerous,
and should not be tampered with. 
Luckily, if you have a flat zero in these stats, you will rarely if ever have to roll for them.
'Ignorance is bliss,' is the mindset I'd suggest sticking with."









"You are of course, free to make your own decisions."



























BIT: "With that out of the way, let's see what the available class options are at the moment."



[ PYTHON ]
Proficiencies: FORCE / DRAMA / MEMENTO
Stat Changes: FORCE +3, DRAMA +3, MEMENTO +3, PRECISION -3, DEPTH -3
Class Skills: Prehensile, Lure, Shutdown

[ HORNET ]
Proficiencies: PRECISION / PACE / SENSE
Stat Changes: PRECISION +2, PACE +3, SENSE +3, DEPTH +1, FORCE -3, COMPOSURE -2, MEMENTO -1
Class Skills: Nest, Venom, Mechanosensory

[ WEASEL ]
Proficiencies: ABSENCE / COMPOSURE / DRAMA
Stat Changes: ABSENCE +3, COMPOSURE +2, DRAMA +3, REALMIC +1, PRECISION -3, INFERENCE -2, DEPTH -1
Class Skills: Squeeze, Slink, Feign

[ BLOODHOUND ]
Proficiencies: SENSE / INFERENCE / MEMENTO
Stat Changes: SENSE +3, INFERENCE +3, MEMENTO +3, PACE -3, REALMIC -3
Class Skills: Track, Discernment, Record

[ GULL ]
Proficiencies: FORCE / PRECISION / PACE
Stat Changes: FORCE +3, PRECISION +3, PACE +3, ABSENCE -1, COMPOSURE -1, DRAMA -1, SERAPHIC -3
Class Skills: Dent, Trip, Counter

[ HALLOW ]
Proficiencies: PRECISION / SENSE / SERAPHIC
Stat Changes: PRECISION +3, SENSE +3, SERAPHIC +3, FORCE -3, DRAMA -3 
Class Skills: Judgment, Divination, Halo

[ SYLPH ]
Proficiencies: INFERENCE / DRAMA / REALMIC
Stat Changes: INFERENCE +3, DRAMA +3, REALMIC +3, FORCE -3, PACE -3 
Class Skills: Charm, Glimpse, Flit

[ DIVER ]
Proficiencies: FORCE / ABSENCE / DEPTH
Stat Changes: FORCE +3, ABSENCE +3, DEPTH +3, SENSE -3, INFERENCE -3 
Class Skills: Prong, Ink, Mitosis

[ CHRONICLE ]
Proficiencies: PACE / COMPOSURE / MEMENTO
Stat Changes: PACE +3, COMPOSURE +3, MEMENTO +3, SENSE -3, SERAPHIC -3 
Class Skills: Ghost, Ring, Overwrite

[ MOCKINGBIRD ]
Proficiencies: SERAPHIC / DEPTH / REALMIC
Stat Changes: SERAPHIC +3, DEPTH +3, REALMIC +3, PRECISION -2, COMPOSURE -2, MEMENTO -2 
Class Skills: Beckon, Blue, Carbon









BIT: "..."
BIT: "I wish you luck."

YAWN: "ER..."
YAWN: "What... do the different skills do?"
BIT: "I am not allowed to tell you until you've chosen a class."
YAWN: "It's fine, just tell me."
BIT: "I cannot. I am not allowed."
YAWN: "...Bit. Tell me."
BIT: "..."
YAWN: "Bit! "
BIT: "No."